A Place For Wendy
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: An unexpected addition to the Rusty and Sharon's little family makes them wonder if they can find a place in their lives and hearts for Wendy. Possible Sharon/Andy in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: I had this story in my mind for nearly 4 months. I'm glad I finally found the time to write it. If you have a minute, let me know what you think of it. And in case you wonder, the baby in the picture is me, 25 years ago.

* * *

Sharon didn't particularly like Cynthia. She didn't hate the woman either. In fact, she was quite indifferent to Rusty's caseworker. The fact that the woman was sitting in her office was somewhat alarming. Sharon knew that it wasn't a routine evaluation and that she most likely had found something or someone that could erode the stability she and Rusty had settled into. She took a seat in front of Cynthia and apologized for keeping her waiting. Whatever it was, the woman was just doing her job, she reminded herself.

"I have some news regarding Rusty," Cynthia started. "And another possible placement issue." Sharon wondered what that meant. She didn't know Cynthia very well, but the vague statement sounded suspicious to her. She nodded her head slowly, to acknowledge that she was listening. "A few days ago, DCFS was contacted by an attorney on behalf of Sharon Beck. She is under house arrest awaiting a trial and she would like to meet her son."

"House arrest?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, she is charged with felony DUI." Sharon's eyes widened as she heard Cynthia's words.

"She had an accident, didn't she?" she asked.

"Yes, she killed a man and she is expected to get a penalty of two to four years if she is convicted," Cynthia informed her. "And she wants to see Rusty."

"What was the other matter you wanted to discuss?" Sharon didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Sharon Beck presence was about to wreck the constancy Rusty needed so much.

"A child placement issue," Cynthia said.

"Is this about Rusty as well?" Sharon asked. The last thing she needed or wanted was for Rusty to be taken from her custody and placed somewhere else.

"Indirectly, yes," Cynthia replied. "I want to inquire if you might be willing to take in another child." Sharon took a deep breath. She did not expect to hear this.

"Is Rusty being transferred to a different guardian?" she asked.

"No. It seems like he's doing well with you. I wouldn't want to ruin that. I'm asking about fostering another child in addition to Rusty."

"I will need more details before I can answer that," Sharon said, not even comprehending how relieved she was that Rusty was staying with her.

"Well, it's a baby and it's still unborn," Cynthia started. "The mother is Sharon Beck and she asked that the baby be placed at the same home with Rusty." Cynthia's words made Sharon bury her face in her palms for a short moment.

"When is she due?" she asked.

"Any day now. This is the reason she is under house arrest."

"Is the baby expected to be healthy?" Sharon wondered.

"We hope it will be. She drank during the pregnancy and we are suspecting of some minor drug use as well. Captain, you need to discuss this with Rusty and you need to take into account the chance that the baby is not healthy," Cynthia said. "Sharon Beck doesn't have the money to pay for health care and as far as I understood, she was not intending to keep the baby to begin with, the same way she is not intending to keep Rusty."

"Then why does she want to see him? It's going to break his heart," Sharon certainly felt like her own heart was on the verge of breaking on Rusty's behalf.

"We can't prevent her from seeing her son. She never legally gave him up and therefore she has the right to see him," Cynthia replied. Sharon nodded slowly.

"I understand," she said. "Please give me at least 24 hours to prepare him, though. He has an exam tomorrow morning and I don't want him to be distracted."

"I expect to hear from you tomorrow at this hour," Cynthia said.


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep usually came easy for Sharon. She normally drifted into a welcoming slumber as soon as her head touched the softness of her pillow, but tonight sleep was fleeting. She was unable to rest for a single moment, tossing and turning in bed and not finding a single comfortable position to place her body. The thoughts ran through her brain in a quick pace, worries soon joining them and creating a huge chaos in her mind.

Even though she knew that Rusty was safe with her and that Sharon Beck will most likely spend the next two years of her life in jail and away from Rusty, she wondered how the meeting with mother will affect him. What will Sharon Beck say to her son? Will she make unrealistic promises? Will she apologize for what he had to endure because of her actions? Will she try to turn him against Sharon?

Sharon Raydor was a rule follower, but she knew that she broke the golden rule that every foster parent had to keep: never get too attached.

* * *

The morning sun greeted Rusty's eyes. He wasn't an early riser, but Sharon insisted that he'd go to bed early and he listened to her for a change. Normally he would argue with her that he was not tired, but there was something in her voice the previous night that just made him comply with her will. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but she had a melancholic look in her eyes and the tone of her voice was a little softer than usual.

He dragged himself out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Sharon was already awake. She was not dressed yet, but she was making breakfast.

"Good morning," he said as he walked over to the coffeemaker and filled a mug with the dark liquid.

"Hey, you're awake," she replied. He nodded slowly. "I was planning on letting you sleep in today."

"Were you?" Rusty arched his eyebrows.

"Yes, I thought I would let you miss morning service and get some more sleep before your exam," Sharon said as she pierced through a pancake with a fork and turned it over in the pan.

"Sharon, is everything okay?" Rusty asked. It was not like Sharon to go so easy on him and he suspected that she was not telling him something.

"Everything's perfect. I just thought you would benefit from getting another hour of sleep," she shrugged. Rusty inspected her. She could feel his eyes scanning her top to bottom, but he didn't say anything.

They ate in silence and Sharon couldn't help the nausea that rose in her stomach as she saw Rusty's inquisitive gaze. _Get a grip over yourself, Sharon!_ She commanded herself inwardly and forced herself to take a bite of the pancake in her plate.

"I'm gonna do well on the exam. You don't have to be so worried," Rusty said.

"Of course you'll do well. You've studied very hard. I'm just a little tired, that's all, honey." Sharon smiled at him. She knew that she would feel much better once she told him about his mother.

"Did something happen during the night?" Rusty wondered. "Did you get called for a crime scene?"

"No. I just had a little trouble sleeping. It happens to me sometimes. There's really nothing to worry about."

* * *

Rusty took a seat in Sharon's office. She didn't look up from the file she was reading until he hummed lightly. She gave him an apologetic smile and closed the file with a thud.

"You said that you wanted to talk to me when I finished my homework," he said, his voice a little nervous. Sharon nodded slowly and inhaled deeply.

"Rusty, there's something I need to tell you," she started.

"It's about my mother, isn't it?" he asked. Sharon replied with a nod. "She's back in town? You found her again?"

"Your mother is in town, but I'm afraid you will not be able to live with her."

"She's in trouble, isn't she?" Rusty knew his mother too well. She had a knack for getting in trouble.

"Yes, she is. She was driving under the influence and ran over a man. She is under house arrest, but she will most likely go to jail." Rusty buried his face in his palms.

"Can I meet her?" he asked.

"Yes. She wants to see you, so I'm setting up a time for a supervised visit," Sharon said. "But there's also something else I wanted to discuss with you."

"I don't have to leave, do I?" She could see the worry registering across his face.

"No, you're not leaving" Sharon sent her hand across her desk and took his hand. "It's about someone else who might be joining us, actually."

"Someone else?" Rusty looked at her with a confused gaze.

"Rusty, how would you feel about having a baby in the house?" she asked. He looked at her as if she hit him on the head with a pan.

"I didn't even know that you could still… reproduce." He swallowed hard and his face became flush and hot. Sharon couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth. "What's so funny? And when the hell did this even happen? And with whom?" Rusty retorted. "Do I even want to know? No, no. I don't want to know; absolutely not."

"Rusty," Sharon grinned, even though she knew that she shouldn't laugh, but his reaction was just too funny to ignore. "I am not pregnant."

"You're not?" Sharon wasn't sure if Rusty sounded more relieved or more disappointed.

"Definitely not," she replied with a grin.

"But you just said…" Rusty looked at her with confusion.

"Rusty, your mother is pregnant and she would like the baby to be placed with us," Sharon explained.

"I don't know what to say," Rusty replied. His eyes widened and his skin tone became a little green. "Is she having a boy or a girl?"

"Cynthia didn't say."

"And when is she supposed to have the baby?" Rusty's eyes were wide and Sharon could see tears slowly forming in them.

"She's very close to her due date, so it could happen any day now," she replied. "Rusty, I know this is a shock to you. It's okay if you want to take your time to make a decision."

"I'd like to talk to my mother first, if that's okay," Rusty said, the stunned expression still on his face.

"Absolutely. I'll ask Cynthia to arrange the visit as soon as possible." Sharon grabbed a box of Kleenex and handed it to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Rusty sat in front of the breakfast table and stared at his coffee mug. Sharon looked at him and could feel a twitch in her stomach. She hated seeing him so upset. He was going to meet his mother today and Sharon expected him to be thrilled and excited, but he woke up with a murky mood.

"It's going to be fine, honey," she put her hand on his shoulder. "She'll be there this time."

"What am I supposed to tell her?" Rusty asked.

"You should tell her how you're doing. Tell her about your school, your friends and your chess team. I'm sure she'll be very proud to hear how accomplished you are."

"She doesn't care about these things," Rusty shrugged.

"This is not really about that, is it?" Sharon asked. Rusty nodded slowly. "Why are you so nervous?"

"The last time she had a chance to see me she ran away. Why does she want to see me now?"

"You don't trust her," Sharon said.

"No, I don't."

"Listen, I can't justify what she did to you. I really can't. But I want to believe that she regrets it. She is the one who asked to see you," she said.

"I don't know what to do. Things were getting better. I was starting to feel like I belong. It's not fair." Sharon dragged her chair closer to his and pulled him into a hug.

"Rusty, nothing has changed. It's just for couple of hours and then you'll come back here and we'll go out for dinner. Do you want me to get us some ice cream for dessert?"

"Sharon, I don't want to go alone." Rusty said into her hair. "I want you to come with me. I want her to meet you." They pulled apart, but Sharon's hand lingered on his shoulders.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"Please, Sharon. I don't wanna be alone with her. I want you to be there," Rusty begged.

"Okay. I'll come with you." Sharon sighed. She could understand why Rusty was terrified of meeting his mother this time. She had let him down one time too many.

* * *

Cynthia didn't look too pleased with the fact that Sharon tagged along to Rusty's visit at his mother's apartment. Sharon wasn't feeling comfortable with this position either, but if her presence gave Rusty reassurance, she didn't see a good reason to decline his request for her to join.

The four of them followed Sharon Beck into her apartment. She was a short woman and her belly stuck out in front of her. The apartment was old, but quite clean and neat. Rusty wasn't sure where his mother got the money for rent.

"You're taller," She said to him. "And you look healthy. You're so big now." Rusty shrugged and she wrapped her arms around him. She then looked at Sharon and smiled at her. "Thank you for taking such a good care of him. It means a lot to me." Sharon nodded her head in response.

"Rusty is doing very well at school," Cynthia said, trying to initiate a conversation between the mother and son.

"That's nice. He's a good kid? He's not giving you any trouble?" Sharon Beck asked Sharon.

"He's wonderful." Sharon replied.

"Good. I'm glad this is working for you, Rusty. That you've got settled." His mother said. "And I hope that you will agree to take this baby as well. Rusty, you're going to have a sister, I think. Or maybe it was a brother. I can't remember what the doctor said. It was months ago."

"Mom, why are you not just giving this baby up for adoption?" Rusty asked.

"I didn't give you up for adoption. Why would I give this kid up?" his mother answered.

"But I don't live with you and you are not intending to raise it either." Rusty argued.

"Siblings should be together and you will need to be good to your brother; or sister," his mother said.

"Where is Gary?" Rusty asked.

"Gary is long gone. He didn't want to have a baby," she replied.

"Of course not. He's an asshole," Rusty's retorted. "And men like him should not be fathers anyway." His mother shrugged. "Look, mom, I'm happy to see you. I am. But I'm angry with you. You left me and when you had a chance to come back, you didn't," he said. "And the only reason you wanted to meet me now is that you think I can convince Sharon to take in another child. You're going to dump this baby with us and never return and this child will grow up hoping that you will come back." At this point, Sharon put her hand on his shoulder.

"Rusty, I love you. I'm your mother and what I did was for the best, really. When I heard that you have a good life, I realized that if I came back, I could never give this life to you. So I had to leave again, for your sake. And I want this baby to have a good life and to grow up with an older brother. You are sweet and I know that you would love this baby because you have a big heart. So all I'm asking is that you give this baby the chance that was given to you," Sharon Beck said.

"I want to leave" Rusty declared. "It was good seeing you, mom. I hope your time in jail will be easy for you."

* * *

"I need the two of you to make a decision," Cynthia said when they were outside of Sharon Beck's apartment. "Rusty, I know you are mad at your mother, but this baby is your brother or sister and we would prefer to place the two of you together."

"I don't want to leave Sharon." Rusty's words made Sharon melt on the inside.

"You don't have to. If Sharon can't take the baby in for whatever reason, it will be placed somewhere else. But as your mother said, you have a good home, a good life and denying that from your own siblings… Just think about it."

"I will," Rusty said.

"And when you become less angry, we can also talk about setting up more visits at your mother's," Cynthia continued. "Sharon, while I appreciate your support in Rusty, it is really better if you won't accompany him to his visits at his mother's."

"I asked her to come with me and I'm glad she did. And I will continue asking her if I feel like it," Rusty answered before Sharon had the chance to open her mouth to reply.

"It's okay, Rusty. Cynthia is right. It's better if you see your mother unaccompanied. My presence there is not necessary," she said.

"Well, if Sharon can't come with me, then I'm not going to see my mother at all. And I'm old enough to make this decision," Rusty insisted.

"Rusty, can you please wait for me in the car? I'll be there in just a minute," Sharon said and handed him the car keys. Rusty left the two women to talk, dragging his feet on the way to the car. "I'm sorry, Cynthia. He's been in a bad mood since this morning. I'll talk to him about the baby when he calms down and let you know. In any case, she needs to have it first."

"I appreciate it, Captain. If you could also convince him to attend his visits without you, that would be helpful. He needs to be able to speak to his mother without the presence of his foster family."

"I understand and agree with you. He was very nervous about this visit. I'm sure he'll come around soon."

"And Captain," Cynthia said. "Please allow me to remind you that foster care is temporary and that sometimes circumstances change and children have to be removed from their foster home and placed somewhere else. I know that you share a strong bond with Rusty, but it's really better for the two of you not to become so attached to each other."


	4. Chapter 4

A glass of imported chardonnay at the end of the day was just what Sharon needed to relax. She took a sip and rolled the wine on her tongue, enjoying the gentle tingle of the bubbles inside of her mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch. It's been a rough day for her and Rusty. The teenager spent most of the day in his room and she decided to give him some time to calm down. She knew that once he was ready, he would come out and talk to her. Pushing him has never brought any results and she tried to avoid it whenever she could.

She heard the sound of his bare feet on the parquet floor and sat up. She knew that he was not upset with her, but she couldn't help feeling his frustration and disappointment. She also wasn't quite sure whether she even wanted to take in the baby or not. She was, after all, nearing 60 and taking care of a teenager was very different than taking care of a baby. Rusty dropped his weight on the couch next to her.

"What are we going to do?" he threw the question into the air.

"Rusty, it's up to you to decide."

"No, it's not only up to me. It's your house. It's your life too." Rusty insisted. "We need to make this decision together."

"How do you feel about the baby? Are you interested in having a sibling at all?" Sharon asked.

"I've been an only child for so long and technically it's only half-sibling…" Rusty started. "I don't know if I like babies. I've never really been next to babies. I've mostly been around adults." Sharon listened to his words, trying to figure out what the subtext was. "But I thought about what Cynthia and my mother said. I was given a chance for a better life, for opportunities and siblings are supposed to take care of each other, so I would like this baby to have this life and the chances I was lucky enough to get. What about you?"

"I want you to be happy, Rusty. I feel that you are finally going to have an immediate family member who will not be cruel to you." Sharon replied after a minute's thought. She didn't want to push Rusty towards something he didn't want. She wanted the decision to be his.

"So we're taking the baby," he said. "Do you still remember how to handle a baby?"

"Don't worry. I'm not that old and senile." Sharon joked. She found that it helped to ease the tension.

"Do we need to rearrange the house?" Rusty asked.

"We'll put the crib in my room." Sharon replied. "And we'll need to make a list of all the things we need to get for the baby," Sharon replied. "I'll call Cynthia tomorrow morning to let her know that we are willing to take this baby in."

* * *

Rusty and Sharon rushed through the halls of the hospital. It was half past midnight when Sharon got the call from Cynthia that Sharon Beck was giving birth and wanted her son in the delivery room with her. Sharon wasn't sure she was quite ready for her life to change so significantly, but she didn't seem to have much choice.

"I'm glad to see you," Cynthia met them at the end of the hall. "She's already in the delivery room." She pointed at the direction of the delivery room. "She wanted the two of you to be present at the birth, so you should go in there." Cynthia pointed at the door that led to the delivery rooms. A policeman stood in the entrance and Sharon nodded her head towards him as she and Rusty passed through the door. A nurse pointed at a little basin and asked them to wash their hands and put on sterile gowns before taking them to the delivery room.

Sharon Beck looked like a roaring lioness as she screamed her heart out. Sharon and Rusty, now clothed in blue paper gowns rushed to her side.

"Rusty, you're here," Sharon Beck panted. She rested her palm on her son's shoulder.

"Mom," Rusty leaned down and dropped a swift kiss on her cheek. He was still angry with her but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her when she was hurting. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't remember it being so painful." Sharon Beck replied.

"Did they give you an epidural?" Sharon asked.

"I'm not going to ask for epidural," The younger woman replied.

"What's epidural?" Rusty asked.

"It's anesthetics that used on women who give birth." Sharon replied as she felt the other woman putting her hand on her shoulder and squeezing it. "It's okay."

"Is all of this normal?" Rusty looked terrified.

"Yes, it is. Don't worry," Sharon replied. She could see that Rusty was not sure what to do or how to react and she couldn't blame him. It was a situation he hasn't experienced before.

"You're almost there, Ms. Beck. Are you ready for the grand finale?" The cheerful doctor smiled after he finished examining Sharon Beck.

"I'm so fucking ready," She replied and Sharon cringed at the swear word, even though she clearly remembered letting out a few harsher swearwords when she gave birth to her first child.

"Good, because we're all set here," the doctor declared. "You can start pushing." Sharon Beck cried out as she gave the first push. Rusty and Sharon could see the beads of sweat that were starting to form on her forehead and tears rising in her eyes.

"You can do it," Sharon encouraged the younger woman and took her hand, lacing her fingers with hers. She had given birth without epidural nearly 30 years earlier and remembered the pain very vividly. "Take a deep breath." Sharon Beck gulped for air as if she was drowning.

"You're doing great," the doctor declared. "Push again," he instructed. Sharon Beck grabbed her son's hand and squeezed it. He seemed to be terrified and Sharon smiled at him reassuringly. Sharon Beck screamed at the top of her lungs as she pushed the baby out with her son and his foster mother's encouragement and the doctor's coaching.

"It's a girl!" the doctor declared and placed the baby in her arms. Rusty stared at the baby with awe as her high pitched crying filled the room. Sharon reached for his hand.

"Congratulations," she smiled at him and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

"Kid, you want to cut the umbilical cord?" the doctor offered. Rusty looked at Sharon who pulled her iPhone out of her pocket to film the happy moment. The nurse handed him forceps and showed him when to cut and then took the baby for weighing and general checkup.

"How are you feeling, Mom?" Rusty asked.

"I'm so tired," she replied and turned her head to look at Sharon. "Thank you." Her voice was faint. The older woman nodded her head in acknowledgement.

As Sharon Beck and her baby were taken out of the delivery room to be placed in Maternity Ward, Sharon stepped outside the room and Rusty followed her. Cynthia was still there, waiting for them.

"It's a girl," Sharon informed her. "And she's healthy, weighs 6.5 pounds."

"Are you excited?" Cynthia asked Rusty. He nodded and a big smile spread on his face. "I'm sure she is going to be proud of her big brother."


	5. Chapter 5

Sharon Beck was napping in her hospital room when Rusty and Sharon walked in. It seemed that the unmedicated birth has taken its toll of the sleeping woman. Sharon threw a quick glance at her and sighed inwardly. Before meeting her, she felt a blazing hatred for the woman who abandoned Rusty. How could anyone just leave their child like that?

She still wasn't very fond of Sharon Beck, but she had to command the woman for caring enough for her children and asking for them to be placed together. And the experience of being present at the delivery room while the woman gave birth to the baby who was to become part of her little unnatural family took away Sharon's anger towards the woman.

"She's adorable, isn't she?" Rusty peeked at the baby who was sleeping in a bassinet. He never expected to feel so much for such a tiny creature he didn't even get to know yet.

"Yes, she is." Sharon wrapped her arm around him. She didn't get to hold the baby yet and neither did Rusty. Despite the fact that the baby was asleep, she picked her up from the bassinet and cradled her. The baby stirred a little, but didn't wake up. Sharon smiled at Rusty. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Really?" His eyes widened.

"Of course," Sharon grinned. She handed him the baby. "Support her head with your elbow." She instructed him. The teenager looked nervous and she smiled. "Don't worry. She won't break." She took her iPhone and snapped a photo. "You look a little like each other."

"You think?" Rusty looked at the baby.

"Babies change a lot during the first few months, but yes, I can see some similarities."

"Hey, Rusty," They heard his mother's faint voice.

"Mom, how are you doing?" Rusty turned and looked at his mother.

"Exhausted," she replied. "I see you finally met your sister. You're beautiful together."

"What's her name?" Rusty asked.

"She doesn't have one yet. I thought you could choose, since you're her big brother," his mother replied. Rusty's face became flushed. He hadn't expected to be the one picking the name for the baby.

"I'll need to think about it," he said.

* * *

Rusty and Sharon were waiting outside Sharon Beck's room for Cynthia to come out. It's been two days since his mother gave birth and he was excited to get to take the baby home. His mother, on the other hand, was about to be put back in house arrest. Without Gary's presence and without drinking, she was a pleasant person and a lot of his anger towards her has subsided. He was still a little disappointed that she couldn't be a better mother, but he knew that he and his new sister were in good hands and will have everything they needed.

Cynthia came out of the room, holding the baby in her arms and handed her to Sharon. Rusty noticed how soft Sharon's expression became as the baby was placed in her arms and tears formed in his eyes.

"Rusty, you can go in there and say goodbye to her," Cynthia said and he nodded slowly and walked into the room. His mother was sitting in a wheelchair and had a shocked expression on her face.

"Mom," he said softly and walked over to him.

"You take good care of the baby, okay?" She put her palms on his cheeks. "The two of you are better off with Sharon. She seems nice. She's good to you, right?"

"Yes, she's great," Rusty's voice was weak.

"Don't let me miss you for too long. I want to see the two of you, okay?" Rusty nodded slowly.

"Mom," There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't find the words. "Please take care of yourself, okay?"

"I love you, Rusty." Her voice was emotional.

"I love you too, Mom," he replied. A policeman entered the room and cleared his throat. "I have to go." Rusty kissed his mother's cheek and squeezed her hand before leaving the room, leaving his life with Sharon Beck in the hospital room and walking towards his new life with Sharon Raydor and his baby sister.


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon pulled into her usual parking spot in the underground parking lot of the LAPD building and threw a look in the back seat. The baby was placed in the infant seat and she was wide awake. Sharon couldn't help but smile at the little creature. She knew that Cynthia would be against it and that she was already deeply attached to this baby to the extent that she needed to remind herself that it wasn't her baby every once in a while.

The first night with the baby was not as bad as she had expected. The baby woke up three times and Sharon fed her baby formula, changed her diaper and lulled her back to sleep. She didn't feel as tired as she thought she would, but she knew that might have just been luck.

With the baby awake now, she figured that she should probably feed her again. It has been 3 hours since she last fed her and her next meal was due. She went out of the car and opened the door to the back seat, moving the baby from the car seat to a baby wrap sling that she wrapped around her body earlier that morning. She hasn't used this kind of sling with her own children, but back then, she has taken maternity leave. Since she couldn't have one now, she figured keeping the baby close to her was the best thing possible. She did have a stroller in the trunk of her car, but she preferred being able to hold the baby close to her body.

"Oh My God, it's procreating!" Provenza called out when she walked into the murder room.

"Good morning to you too, Lieutenant," she replied with a smiled. "Please allow me to introduce Rusty's little sister. His mother gave birth a couple days ago and the baby has been placed with us."

"How do you still have the energy for another one?" Andy grinned. She smiled and shrugged. "How is Rusty doing?"

"He's excited. I think it was difficult for him to spend time with his mother, knowing that they have to part, but he seems happy about the baby." Sharon replied.

"What's her name?" Sykes peeked into the sling.

"She doesn't have a name yet. Rusty's mother wanted him to decide, but he's still unsure. I'm gonna give him a few more days before I start pushing him for a name."

"Yeah, he better give it a good thought. I mean, you don't want the baby to be stuck with a name like Dazzle or Hollywood for the rest of her life." Andy joked.

"I don't think Hollywood is such a bad name," Buzz replied.

"Oh, come on, Buzz." Andy said.

"Hey, maybe we should throw the kid a party. What do you think, Captain?" Sykes said.

"A party?" Sharon arched her brow.

"Yeah, like a baby shower, you know. I mean, he just got a baby sister, so he should celebrate, right?" Sykes smiled.

"It's a good idea, Captain." Andy said after giving it a moment's thought. Just then, the baby started crying at the top of her lungs.

"I'm sorry. I think she's hungry. I'll go to prepare her formula." Sharon said and rushed out of the murder room, down the hall to the break room. She put the baby's bag on one of the tables and took a box with the powdered baby formula and an empty bottle out of it. She filled the bottle with lukewarm water and poured a measured amount of formula in. She heard the door open and close behind her.

"Just wanted to congratulate you," she head his raspy voice. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you, Andy." The words felt heavy on her tongue. She shook the baby's bottle a few times, to mix the formula with the water.

"I think it's very noble of you, to take her in," he continued. "It can be difficult to get used to having a baby again, you know." She nodded slowly, trying to decipher the subtext of his words. "And I'm here if you ever need any help." She thanked him again as she checked the temperature of the baby's food. "Or just to talk, you know; about anything."

"Is there something you want to talk about?" She wondered.

"Just wondering how come you never told any of us about this," he said.

"I was…" Her voice faltered. "You know, busy. It took a lot of juggling and I haven't found the time to tell the squad what was going on. I know you guys care a lot about Rusty. I'm sorry for surprising you like this," she replied.

"It's a good surprise." Andy smiled at her. "And we care about you too, just so you know."

"Thank you, Andy. That's much appreciated." She said, as she brought the bottle to the baby's mouth. The baby sucked the bottle's teat hungrily and Sharon smiled.

"You're a pro, eh?" Andy grinned.

"After raising two of my own, I should be. Wouldn't you say?"

* * *

Rusty walked into the murder room with a stupid smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see his baby sister. He thought about her all day long at school and showed her pictures to his friends. Not long ago he was ashamed of being a foster kid and didn't want to talk about it, but a couple months earlier, his friends were curious about his life until eventually he told them about Sharon and about his mother. They didn't give him a hard time about it as he first feared. Now, they were also happy when he came in and told them that he had a new sister. He asked them for advice on names and one friend from the chess team, a girl named Anna, gave him an idea.

"Hey, kid. Congratulations!" Andy called out as he saw him. Rusty smiled and thanked him.

"Is Sharon in her office? I need to talk to her," he said. Andy nodded slowly. Rusty walked into Sharon's office and smiled as he heard her singing to the crying baby. "I didn't know you could sing," he said.

"Singing can help calm babies down," Sharon said. "She's a little upset today."

"Maybe she's in pain," Rusty offered.

"No, she's okay, just a little agitated. It happens." Sharon shrugged. "How was school today?"

"It was good. Not too much homework. I told my friends about the baby." Rusty said.

"That's great. What did they say?" Sharon asked.

"Jordan thought it was cool and Anna gave me an idea for a name."

"Did she?" Sharon met Anna once and she could tell that the girl had a serious crush on Rusty. She wasn't surprised that Anna was willing to help him pick a name for the baby.

"Yes. She thought it was funny that my Mom's name and your name are the same." Rusty said. "And she said that since both the baby and I have two mothers who share the same name…" Sharon liked the fact that he referred to her as a mother for him and the baby. "I could name the baby after the both of you."

"Rusty, I…" Sharon started.

"Wait, I'm not finished," he declared. "Your middle name is Wendy, right?"

"How do you know that?" Sharon's eyes widened.

"It was on the foster care application forms." The teenager replied. "Anyway, my Mom's middle name is Jane, so I thought we should name her Wendy Jane."

"Do you like the names or did you just pick them because you want to name the baby after your mother and me?" Sharon asked.

"No, I really like the names." Rusty smiled. "What do you think?"

"I love it, Rusty. It's a great name for her and I'm honored that you chose to name her after me. I'm sure your mother would also be honored." Sharon said. She looked at the baby in her arms and smiled. "Wendy Jane Beck. That sounds beautiful."


	7. Chapter 7

Wendy's high pitched cry made Sharon sigh in frustration. It was the fifth time Wendy woke up and it wasn't even 2 AM yet. Sharon could tell by now that she was not going to get any sleep tonight. She has already fed Wendy and changed her diaper. She sang to her and shoved a pacifier into the baby's mouth but nothing seemed to make the baby stay awake longer than twenty minutes. Tiredly, she dragged herself out of the bed and picked Wendy up from the crib. Once again, there was no apparent reason for the crying. She felt tears of frustration rising in her own eyes. Giving up, she went back to bed, taking Wendy with her and placing her by her side. Wendy butted her head against the mattress a few times and Sharon started rubbing her back slowly until she finally fell asleep.

"Thank God." She said and gently picked Wendy up, putting her back in her crib. She went back to bed and turned off the light, only to hear Wendy's cry again.

"Sharon?" Sleepy Rusty knocked on the door of her room. She sighed and allowed him to come in. "Is Wendy okay?" he could see that she was trying to soothe the baby to no avail. She looked at him with frustration so big that he thought she might burst into tears. Sharon didn't break easily, but he could see that she was trying to keep herself calm and composed despite the lack of sleep and Wendy's persistent crying. He took Wendy from her arms and started pacing around the room, talking to the baby and calmly explaining to her why she should really go back to sleep. Wendy put her head down on his chest and within moments fell asleep again. Sharon sighed and wiped her eyes sleepily.

"Thank you, Rusty," she whispered. He nodded slowly as he put Wendy down in the crib. They stood there for a couple of minutes, as if to make sure that she doesn't wake up again and then went back to their beds.

* * *

"Rough night?" Andy asked when Sharon walked into the murder room the next morning. Wendy was in her sling, sound asleep and Sharon smiled faintly at her lieutenant.

"It happens." She shrugged as she walked towards her office. Andy has never seen her looking so out of it in his life. He wasn't even sure how she managed to drive to work, because she looked too exhausted to even stand. In a way, he felt bad for her. He was sure that the new baby was a welcomed addition into her and Rusty's life but it also brought forth a lot of new challenges. And he also knew that there was always a chance that this baby will be taken from her and placed with someone else whom he was sure would never be as good as Sharon. He was at least happy to see that Rusty was helping her and that Taylor seemed to be cutting her some slack. This would end for sure, he thought. It won't be long before Taylor stopped turning a blind eye to the fact that the woman who ran Major Crimes was bringing her newborn ward to work.

Wendy's crying distracted Sharon from the file that she was reading. This baby had the lungs of an opera singer, she thought. She pushed her seat back and went over to Wendy's stroller. In her heart, she wished Rusty was there. It seemed that something about his approach made Wendy calmer; the tone of his voice, maybe, or the way he explained to her why crying would do her no good. He was a natural, really and she loved watching him interacting with Wendy. But Rusty was at school and she had to suck it up and tend to Wendy's needs.

"Captain," Andy came into her office without knocking on the door. He was holding Wendy's bottle in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "Let me." He put the coffee on her desk and took Wendy from her arms. "That's for you." He pointed at the coffee as he cradled Wendy and gently put the teat of the bottle in her mouth.

"Thank you, Andy," Sharon sighed and took the coffee, curling her fingers around the paper cup. She brought the cup to her mouth.

"The pleasure is mine." Andy smiled at her. "You're not getting much sleep, eh?"

"I knew what I signed up for." Sharon shrugged.

"I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier." Andy said. She smiled at him. "Look, I know that I already told you that before, but I'm here if you need anything." He leaned against her desk and looked into her eyes, a soft smile adorning his features. She felt her face becoming hot. Deep gazes always made her uncomfortable. Her eyes often told more than she was willing to expose and it seemed that Andy knew it and found a route into her soul. "You okay?" he asked. "You look as if I just shot your dog."

"I don't have a dog," she replied before she realized it was an idiom. She felt her blood rushing to her cheeks and averted her gaze from his eyes to Wendy. "Um… she's drooling." She turned around, grabbing a baby napkin that was hanging at the handle of the stroller and wiped the formula from the corners of Wendy's mouth. Her eyes met his again.

"Listen, it's almost five and you don't look like you should be getting behind the wheel. Let me drive you home," he offered.

"I'm perfectly fine, Andy." She smiled.

"I insist."

"Alright." Sharon shrugged. He was right, she knew. Driving while being so exhausted will put Wendy and her at risk, as well as the other people on the road.

Andy parked Sharon's car in front of her building. He figured it would be a good idea to take her car instead of moving the infant seat from her car to his. That way, she would also have her car the next morning.

"Is Rusty coming home soon?" he asked.

"No, he's sleeping over at a friend's house." Sharon replied.

"On a school night?" Andy arched his brow.

"He's been so helpful at home; I just had to give him the night off. He deserves to have some fun." Sharon shrugged.

"Listen, why don't I cook dinner for you tonight?" Andy smiled.

"What?" His question caught Sharon off guard.

"To be honest, I've been watching you lately. You are dealing with so many things, taking care of others and I think that for one night, someone should do something for you." Andy said. "I happen to be a great cook and you haven't eaten much today, so let me come upstairs with you and cook dinner for you." His voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"Sure, why not." Sharon smiled.

* * *

Andy didn't lie about his cooking skills; he was really good. He cooked pasta and the cream sauce was divine. Sharon's cooking was satisfactory, but nothing special. Andy's cooking, on the other hand, made her feel incompetent in the kitchen.

After dinner, Sharon made coffee for him and tea for herself and they took a seat on the couch in Sharon's living room. Sharon was tired, but something in Andy's company made the blood rush through her veins and her heartbeat sound like an African drum in her head.

"So what do you usually do when you're not juggling between Major Crimes and two foster kids?" he inquired.

"I go to the ballet, listen to music, read a lot…" Sharon replied. "You?"

"I love sports. I watch Baseball, Play some basketball, cook," Andy said.

"I can definitely testify to your cooking. Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"I'm the only son in my family. I grew up surrounded by women. Two sisters, my mom and my grandmother, God bless her soul." Andy said. "I'm Italian on my mother's side so I can cook anything Italian: pasta, lasagna, cannoli, tiramisu… You name it – I cook it."

"My cooking skills are not as good as yours, I'm afraid. Cooking has always been more of a chore than a hobby to me." Sharon admitted.

"Well, no one is perfect, I guess." Andy grinned.

"I guess not." Sharon replied. Andy looked into her eyes again. She was not wearing her glasses and he could see them better without barriers.

"I don't mean to overstep boundaries, but your eyes are beautiful." The words slipped out of his mouth naturally and made Sharon blush. He gave her his boyish grin. She was so easily embarrassed, but he meant every word.

"Thank you, Andy," she said. His eyes gazed into hers deeply and she felt a flutter deep in her stomach. He brought his body closer to hers and against her will or better judgment, she found herself leaning closer to him as well until her face was merely an inch away from his. They gazed at each other for a long moment before Andy leaned in further and nearly closed the gap between them, his lips touching hers, ever so slightly. Sharon closed her eyes, spreading her lips to grant him access when a high pitched cry made her eyes open at once and draw a sharp, painful breath. She bolted away from him and felt her face flushing. "I'm sorry, Andy… I…" He waved his hand in the air, as if to stop her.

"Don't worry about it," he said as she got up and went into her bedroom to look after Wendy.


	8. Chapter 8

Andy was still sitting on the couch when Sharon returned from her bedroom, Wendy in her arms. She tried to decipher the expression on his face; it was something between disappointment and tenderness.

"I'm sorry about this, Andy," Sharon sighed. He got off the couch and walked over to her.

"It's not your fault." He smiled bitterly. She could see that he was upset but she wasn't sure what to say. She was a little relieved that Wendy started crying when she did. She had no business getting involved with her lieutenant even if he was caring, contagiously passionate and too attractive for his own good. _Oh, stop it, you idiot!_ She reproached herself inwardly. "I think we should call it a night."

"Let me call a cab for you," Sharon said, her fingers gently gliding down his arm. She sent her hand into the pocket of her jacket and fished her iPhone out.

"Don't worry about it. My friend is a cab driver. I'll give him a call." His voice was raspy. _Sexy_, she thought and mentally shook herself again and bit her bottom lip. Andy took his phone out of his pocket and dialed his friend's number. After a couple of minutes he ended the call and looked at Sharon, who had one arm around Wendy's body and the other hand on her hip. "He'll be here in about half an hour."

"Another coffee then?" she asked, realizing that she didn't want him to leave just yet. It was pleasant to spend her free time with another adult, especially one she cared about deeply.

"Sure," he said and Sharon went into her kitchen only realizing that with Wendy in her arms, she won't be able to do much.

"Andy, would you mind taking Wen for a moment?" she asked. He came into the kitchen and she placed the baby in his arms.

"So…" Andy said, desperately looking for a conversation topic that will help him ease the tension that was so clearly hanging between them. "You said that you have two kids of your own."

"Yes. Juliet is 28 and Tommy is 25." Sharon smiled as she spoke about them.

"Do they live in LA?" Andy asked.

"No, Jules is in Uganda. She works in a humanitarian organization; handles kids with AIDS, orphanages, building schools, helping to fight child labor, whatever she can get involved in, really."

"Noble, just like her mother." Andy smirked.

"And much more adventurous."

"You must be worried about her. Uganda is not the safest place." Andy said, noticing that Wendy fell asleep in his arms.

"I'm worried sick about her, but she does important work. How can I ever go against it?" she shrugged.

"And what about your son? I hope he's closer and safer."

"Tommy lives in Florida; he's a teacher in a school for the deaf." Sharon replied.

"Is he…" Andy didn't want to sound inappropriate.

"Yes. He was born hearing, actually. He contracted meningitis when he was 18 months old and lost his hearing." Sharon handed him a cup of coffee and gently took Wendy from his arms.

"I'm sorry." Andy said, taking a sip of his coffee. Sharon might not have been a very good cook, but she was definitely a pro with coffee.

"Don't be. He has a full life. He's got a girlfriend, a job, friends, hobbies." Sharon offered a shy smile.

"One thing is for sure. You're kids are lucky to have a mother like you." His words made her blush again and he wasn't sure what to say next. She seemed to be uncomfortable with the compliments; but really, a woman like her should be complimented, he thought. Despite what she might say, it couldn't be easy to have one child living in a conflicted country on the other side of the world and one child who's disabled in addition to an abandoned teenager and a newborn baby in her home. He drank the rest of his coffee in silence, sneaking a gaze at her every few moments. She seemed to be much more comfortable with the silence than with the compliments. His phone rang and he hurried to pick up before his ringtone woke Wendy up. "He's outside so I better leave." He said when he hung up the phone. She walked him to the door.

"Thank you again for dinner. I had a lovely time," she said.

"Get some sleep. You need it." He bent down and swiftly brushed his lips against her cheek. "Good night, Sharon," he said and went out of her apartment.

* * *

Sharon parked her car in front of the crime scene and threw a glance in the back seat. Wendy was asleep and Sharon knew that she would wake up as soon as she put her in the baby sling.

Bringing the baby to a crime scene was not ideal. Sharon knew that Wendy was too young to register any of whatever was expecting them in the crime scene in her memory, but a crime scene was also potentially dangerous for a baby. Who knows what chemicals and germs they would meet inside? She hadn't thought that all the way through, but she also couldn't leave the baby alone at home.

"This is so wrong on so many levels," Provenza said as she walked into the crime scene. "Couldn't you get a sitter?"

"At 4 AM, Lieutenant?" Sharon switched into her HBIC mode. There was a limit to what she could tolerate at this time after getting so little sleep.

"Captain, you don't want to bring a baby in here," Sykes came over to her, blocking her way so she would not be able to walk any further into the crime scene. Sharon looked around her and spotted a female officer. She walked over to her.

"Sergeant, what's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Sergeant Eliza Jenkins, Ma'am." The young officer replied, looking a little shaken.

"I'm Captain Sharon Raydor," she introduced herself. "Can I trust you to do me a big favor?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Jenkins replied.

"Follow me, please." Sharon said and the young officer followed her to where she parked her car.

"I need you to sit in my car and watch the baby. Her name is Wendy." Sharon took the baby out of the sling and handed her to Jenkins.

"I beg your pardon, Ma'am?" The officer looked confused.

"I can't bring Wendy into the crime scene, so someone needs to watch her while I'm in there. You seem like someone I can trust." Sharon replied. "You can strap her in the infant seat; there are diapers, baby wipes, change of clothes and formula in her bag. I put it in the back seat."

"Thanks, Ma'am."

"You have your phone on you?" Jenkins nodded slowly. "Hand it over please." The young officer obeyed. "I'm entering my number into your phone," Sharon said as she dialed her own number and hung up. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will, Ma'am." Jenkins replied.

"And if anyone gives you trouble, say that you are following orders from me." Jenkins nodded. "Any questions?"

"No, Ma'am. I think I'm good." Jenkins replied. Sharon smiled at her and walked towards the crime scene. The loss of the warmness of Wendy's body against hers own was almost painful and she suddenly realized that not having Wendy in the sling while at work made her feel vulnerable. She took a deep breath and schooled her features before stepping into the crime scene.


	9. Chapter 9

Sharon stood in the middle of her living room and stared into an invisible particle that was floating somewhere in the air. The decision was hard, but she had to make it before she fell off her feet; should she go to the bathroom to take a long soothing shower or to her bedroom to get as much sleep as she could get before Wendy wakes up demanding her food? Originally, she planned on walking wherever her feet would take her, but she found that once she removed her shoes, her feet planted themselves in the ground with no will or energy to move and no clear direction. With exhaustion so severe, she better use the few hours of sleep she might be able to gain, she thought and walked to her bedroom. Quickly peeling the different layers of clothing off her body, she dropped her tired body on her mattress and pulled the covers over her head.

* * *

Rusty unlocked the door, being followed by Andy into the apartment. He's been trying to get a hold of Sharon on her mobile all afternoon long and she never answered. Luckily, Andy was willing to pick him up from his friend's house and drive him home.

Sharon's shoes were placed by the door, which indicated that she was home but the apartment was very quiet and dark, as if there was no one there. Rusty knocked on Sharon's bedroom door, but no reply came. Opening the door, he noticed her, lying in bed, her foot sticking out from under the blanket. Silently, he walked into the room and checked on Wendy. She was awake, but calm. He picked her up and carried her outside the room, closing the door behind him.

"She's asleep." He pointed towards the bedroom door.

"Wow, she must be completely drained." Andy grinned. "Listen, why won't I cook dinner for you?"

"Sounds great to me," Rusty replied and smiled as Wendy fisted his T-shirt.

"Is there something specific you want me to make?" Andy inquired.

"I'm good with anything," the teenager shrugged. "So did you guys get called to a crime scene last night?"

"Yes. The Captain had to bring Wendy with her, but she got this young officer to watch her. The poor girl was completely intimidated by her." Andy's words made Rusty laugh. He could definitely imagine it. "I thought it was a little sad, though."

"Why is it sad?" Rusty wondered as he tried to release his shirt from the grip of Wendy's little hands.

"The Captain has a reputation in the LAPD. People think she's a heartless bitch, but it doesn't seem like anyone ever tried to get to know her." Andy said.

"I didn't really like her at first too." Rusty recalled.

"Me neither. God knows that on her first day as the head of Major Crimes I yelled at her." Andy said. "You live with her, so you probably know this better than me, but it seems like she doesn't open up very easily, right?"

"Well, she is very introvert, if that's what you're asking." Rusty replied. He was proud to finally be able to use this word in a sentence. Sharon has helped him with his homework earlier that week and he came across this word in one of his textbooks. He didn't know what it meant, but Sharon taught him. She also taught him the opposite word: extrovert. He thought those were very good words to describe people.

"I thought she might be." Andy smiled. "So, how was your day at school?"

"Okay. I had chess club today. There's this girl, Anna. She's a genius and I was finally able to beat her in a match." Rusty replied.

"Is she good-looking, this Anna?" Andy asked.

"I don't know. She looks regular. She has eyes, ears, hands, legs." The kid replied and Andy grinned.

"You should really invite her over sometime, Rusty." Sharon came out of the bedroom.

"Oh, look who's awake." Andy called out.

"Lieutenant Flynn, what are you doing in my kitchen again?" she asked and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm saving the kid from your cooking skills." Andy replied with a boyish grin.

"Wait, what do you mean again?" Rusty asked.

"The Lieutenant drove me home last night. He thought I looked too tired to drive." Sharon said. "And then he thought he should come upstairs and cook dinner for me." Rusty looked at Sharon and then at Andy. How has he not realized it before? Those two had a thing going on.

"You didn't pick up the phone, so I called him." Rusty said. "And he wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, thank you, Lieutenant Flynn." Sharon smiled.

"Any time, Captain,"

"I'm going to my room. I promised Anna that I'll email her photos of my art project. Please let me know when dinner is ready." Rusty said and walked down the hall to him room, Wendy still in his arms. Sharon and the lieutenant definitely needed some time alone, he thought as he closed the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Andy grinned at Sharon.

"Oh, I don't know. For the past few months he's been 'Anna this' and 'Anna that' all the time." Sharon shrugged.

"So you think there's something between them?" Andy wondered.

"Yes, but I think they just don't know it yet." Sharon replied.

"Maybe he's not telling you," Andy pointed out.

"I'd like to think that he would." Sharon said, "I believe Rusty is trustworthy and I hope he thinks the same about me."

"Still, maybe you should have 'The Talk' with him." Andy suggested. Sharon shook her head. "If you're uncomfortable with it, I could talk to him."

"There's no need, really. Whatever is happening between those two is underdeveloped. The girl is too shy. I think Rusty might be as well," Sharon explained.

"So why don't you tell Rusty something about it?"

"I think he needs to figure it out on his own. If and when he's ready, it will happen," she smiled.

"Well, I guess you know what you're doing." Andy smiled at her. She nodded slowly and smiled shyly. "Hey, would you mind tasting the sauce? I'm not sure if I should add more salt."

"Sure." Sharon replied and Andy brought a spoonful of pasta sauce to her mouth. "I actually like it. I don't think you should add…" Andy brought his hand to her face and wiped the corner of her mouth. "What are you doing?"

"You had some sauce there," he replied and brushed his thumb over her lips. She was about to thank him when she felt his lips on hers, warm and soft and soothing. She wasn't wearing her heels and he was much taller than her. She found herself standing on her toes. He wrapped his arms around her waist, gently lifting her off the floor, just enough so he could kiss her without stretching the muscles of his neck and without her doing the ballerina act. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head closer. Her lips sucked on his and her tongue explored the warmth of his mouth. They were both breathless when they pulled apart.

"Rusty is in the other room," Sharon wet her bottom lip with her tongue.

"Yeah," Andy said and pressed his lips against hers, lingering there for a few moments before he pulled away. Sharon's lips curled up in that knowing smile of hers. "Dinner is almost ready."

"I'll set the table," she said as she took plates from one of the cupboards, her arm deliberately brushing against his. Her little finger curled around his forefinger for a moment before she turned away and walked towards the dining table.


	10. Chapter 10

Wendy's crying echoed throughout the Major Crimes offices and disturbed everyone. The baby has been crying for over an hour now and Sharon looked quite upset as she was unable to sooth the baby or understand the reason for the crying. She was trying with all her might to raise her voice over Wendy's crying so her squad could hear her, but to no avail. The squad looked equally upset to see her in this situation, or to be a part of it.

"Captain, maybe the baby needs some fresh air." Provenza said. Wendy was three months old and he still didn't refer to her by her name.

"Some babies like it when you drive them around," Tao suggested. "My son used to love that as a baby. That was practically the only way to make him fall asleep." Sharon looked around the room and sighed.

"Keep brainstorming and let me know if you come up with something." She said and walked out of Major Crimes with Wendy in her arms. She knew that maintaining tranquility was the most important thing when trying to calm a crying baby, but she was beginning to worry. Wendy has never cried incessantly for such a long time for no reason. She placed Wendy in the infant seat and the sudden lack of contact with Sharon's body seemed to startle the already distressed baby and made her cry even louder. Sharon took her place behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot. She wasn't planning on leaving the parking lot, but driving around in circles until Wendy finally stops crying.

After half an hour, she gave up. Wendy's crying became hysterical and Sharon was worried that she'll start choking, as babies so often did when they cried for a long time. Driving around was obviously unhelpful in this case and she pulled back into her parking spot and took the baby out of the car.

* * *

Andy looked at Sharon with worry in his eyes. She was clearly dismayed by Wendy's ceaseless crying. The baby has been crying for hours now and nothing Sharon or Rusty tried helped. He wasn't sure what to do and his ears were ringing with the sound of crying.

Rusty was sitting by his side on the couch and buried his face in his palms. Andy could tell he was suffering and he patted the boy's shoulder as if to identify.

"I'm going to try giving her a bath. Maybe it will help, somehow." Sharon said and walked to the bathroom. Her ears were practically aching by now. "You are going to have a very relaxing bath, honey." She spoke to the baby, trying to sound enthusiastic and hopeful. She filled the baby bathtub with lukewarm water and undressed Wendy. It was the first time during the day she noticed that Wendy's skin was warmer than usual. Opening the medicine cabinet, she took the thermometer and gently put it in Wendy's ear. Her eyes widened as she saw the temperature; Wendy was burning up. She took the baby in her arms and quickly walked down the hall to the living room. "I'm taking her to the ER. She's got a fever of 103."

She handed Wendy to Andy and went to put on her shoes.

"I'm coming with you," Rusty bolted up from the couch.

"No, stay here with Andy. Do your homework and then you can watch TV. They'll probably just run some tests and give her some medicine. You don't need to worry, okay?" Rusty nodded. "Andy, can you stay with him until I come back?" She took Wendy from his arms.

"I don't need a sitter." Rusty called out.

"I thought you could use the company." Sharon retorted.

"I'll stay with him. Don't worry." Andy smiled at her. She thanked him as she picked Wendy's bag and her own purse and went out of the apartment.

* * *

Rusty was sleeping on the couch in front of the television and Andy glanced at his watch for the third time in fifteen minutes. It was almost midnight and Sharon was not back yet. He got up and brought a blanket from Sharon's room to cover Rusty. Then he turned the TV off. It has been nearly a month since their first kiss and he was a usual guest at Sharon's house. Things progressed slowly; too slowly as far as he was concerned, but he respected Sharon's will to be sure of this relationship before they slept together. From his past experience in serious relationships, he knew that it was important to lay strong foundations to a relationship in order for it to be healthy and thriving. Obviously, Sharon needed her time to trust him and assure herself and that was okay with him. He had a feeling that she was hurt by love in the past and was a little hesitant about opening her heart to love again.

His phone rang and Sharon's number appeared on the screen. He picked it up and walked to Rusty's room, so he could talk without waking the kid up.

"How is it going?" He asked.

"They're admitting her. They say that she has a severe ear infection. They're going to give her antibiotics through an IV." Her voice sounded desperate.

"Do you want me to come over there and be with you?" he offered.

"Please. But leave a note to Rusty. Is he sleeping?"

"Yes. Do you want me to bring you anything?" Andy asked.

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

Sharon was sitting by a bassinette, watching the way Wendy's chest went up and down with every breath she took. She was asleep at last and had an IV connected to her little arm. She felt arms being wrapped around her and pulling her closer.

"Andy," her voice was weak. He brushed his lips against hers and let her lean into him. She looked upset and exhausted; not a combination he liked. "How could I be so stupid? I should have checked her temperature after the first hour of crying."

"You didn't know. It happens." Andy said and tightened his arm around her.

"She could have lost her hearing." Only then did Andy realize what all of this was about. Seeing Wendy this way made Sharon think about her son.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," he said.

"I should have been more attentive," she said. "All I needed to do is touch her face. I would have known immediately and taken her to the doctor."

"Self blame will get you nowhere."

"You know, I've been told several times that I shouldn't care so much. I'm not supposed to become attached to Rusty and Wendy." Sharon's voice was broken. "But I can't help it. Love beats reason."

"You are doing well with them. The reason Rusty is thriving is that you care about him. And Wendy will grow up and become a great kid thanks to your devotion and love." Andy said, lacing his fingers with hers. "Now, you need to get some sleep. I'll watch Wendy for you, okay?"

"Thank you, Andy. I love you." Sharon said as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I love you too, Sharon." It was the first time they said it to each other, but it felt natural and Andy knew that it was true, for the both of them.


	11. Chapter 11

Early morning sunrays invaded Sharon's living room when Andy opened the door. He forgot to lock it when he left but he deliberately neglected to tell that to Sharon; she had enough on her mind already. Rusty was still asleep on the couch, almost in the same position in which he left the boy.

It was too early to wake Rusty up for school, but also too late for him to go to sleep, therefore he went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine. He wanted to stop by at the hospital before work to give Sharon her toothbrush, toothpaste and a change of clothes. He might as well bring her something to eat. She didn't really eat dinner the previous evening and must have been hungry. He hoped she won't have to spend another night at the hospital. Wendy's fever was still high when he left, but a bit lower than when Sharon brought her in. It seemed that the meds were starting to work, albeit not as quickly as he would expect.

He heard steps behind him and knew that Rusty was awake. He turned around to find an expression of concern registered across the boy's face.

"Where is Sharon?" Rusty asked before Andy managed to greet him.

"She's still at the hospital. Wendy has a bad ear infection and they had to admit her." Andy said and put a cup of coffee in front of the kid.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes. She was a little bit better when I left the hospital. She's gonna be fine." Andy assured him.

"Can I see her?" Rusty asked. Andy threw a glance at his watch.

"If you can get ready within the next 20 minutes I guess we can stop there before I drop you off at school," he replied.

"I'm on it." Rusty almost ran towards the bathroom. While the kid took a quick shower and dressed up for school, Andy gathered a change of clothes and some toiletries for Sharon. He was sure she called Chief Taylor by now and told him that she was not coming to work. "I'm ready." Rusty came into the kitchen his backpack thrown over his right shoulder.

* * *

Sharon was staring into the air in despair when she heard Rusty's voice. What was he doing here? She sneaked a look at her watch. There was still an hour until school starts. She sighed in relief and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"How is she doing?" Rusty asked.

"The fever is still too high, but not as high as last night. She's getting antibiotics and eardrops. The doctor said that they might keep her for another night." Rusty peeked into the bassinet where Wendy was sleeping. She looked calm, even though she had a needle with an IV in her arm.

"Is that the antibiotics?" he asked and pointed at the IV.

"And some fluids," Sharon replied. "Where's Andy?"

"He said that he'll be here soon." Rusty shrugged. Sharon nodded slowly. Rusty's eyes inspected her for a long moment. She looked pale and tired and he felt bad for her. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A little," she replied. "Andy came over during the night. He watched Wendy while I rested."

"He's really awesome, isn't he?" Rusty smiled.

"He's a great person," she nodded, grinning at Rusty's choice of words.

"And he's been hanging out with us very often recently." Rusty pointed out.

"Yes." Sharon confirmed a fact that both of them already knew.

"So I'm just wondering…" Sharon's face became even paler as he spoke those words. "Are the two of you… you know?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." Sharon knew exactly what he meant, but she decided to pretend not to.

"Are the two of you together?" he blushed and Sharon couldn't help but smirk.

"Hypothetically speaking, how would you feel about it if we were?"

"I would feel good about it if being with him made you happy." Rusty said, "So are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Are you seeing him?" Rusty asked. It was then when Andy walked into the room and smiled at Rusty.

"You see, kid? I told you she's gonna be okay," he patted Rusty's shoulder. "I brought you some coffee and muffins." He handed Sharon a Starbucks cup and a paper bag. "And you've got all the stuff you asked for in this bag." He put a duffle bag on the floor.

"What, did you bring my entire house?" Sharon grinned. Rusty looked at them and crossed his arms on his chest.

"What?" Andy asked.

"Rusty wants to know if you and I are involved." Sharon spoke slowly. Andy looked at her in confusion; he wasn't sure what she wanted to tell Rusty. "And I promised Rusty a while ago that I will not lie or keep secrets from him." Sharon looked straight into Rusty's eyes.

"So…" Rusty said.

"Yes, Rusty. Andy and I have expressed interest in each other. We care about each other a lot and to be honest, I wanted to wait for a while before we told you anything about it, because we are still figuring this relationship out." Rusty stared at the both of them for a moment. He has known that they had feelings for each other for quite a while. He just wasn't sure whether they would ever act upon those feelings or not.

"I'm really happy for you." He smiled shyly. "And I hope you are happy together."

"Come here," Sharon reached out and wrapped her arms around him. "You smart little monster," she grinned.

"A happy monster too," Rusty smirked.

"I'm glad, Rusty." Sharon gently stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. "I want you to feel happy and loved. You really do deserve it."

"So do you." Rusty said.

"Now, the two of you better get going. I don't want you to be late for school." Sharon said. "Do you have money for lunch?" she grabbed her purse and sent her hand inside.

"Don't worry about it, Sharon. I'll give him money. Save your money for the vending machines." Andy said.

"Thanks, Andy. Call me if the squad finds any leads about the investigation. I want you to keep me in the loop," she said. Andy nodded slowly and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

"Oh, come on! What is she, your mother?" Rusty's words made Sharon blush. Andy grinned and wrapped his arm around Rusty's shoulders.

"You've got school, kid," he said. Rusty bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Wendy's forehead.

"Bye Stinky, feel better." Sharon rolled her eyes and patted the teenager's shoulder.

"Go on. I'll be out in a moment." Andy said and Rusty gave him a quick nod and left the room.

"Have a nice day at school, Rusty." He heard Sharon's voice.

"Brave move with the kid, Sharon," he smiled. "Let me know if anything changes. Hopefully, by tomorrow morning the two of you will be home." Andy could see tears forming in her eyes and he gently wiped them with his thumb. "Don't worry. She will be okay."

"I feel like I'm demanding so much from you. I'm so sorry about everything." Sharon said.

"Sharon, come on. I understand your situation and your priorities. I adore you for the way you are handling the different situations these two are throwing at you and I am happy to be here for you." Andy cupped her cheek. It was clear to him that the lack of sleep and the emotional strain were getting to her. There was only so much a person could carry alone on their own shoulders. His lips brushed against hers softly. "Get some rest while she's asleep. I'll see you later, okay?"

"I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"I can think of quite a few ways you could thank me." Andy gave her that boyish grin of his. Sharon blushed and smiled at the same time.

"You have a dirty mind," she smirked. Andy kissed her again before he left. Sharon touched her lips and then smiled to herself. He was a treasure. That was for sure.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your great reviews and comments. It's very encouraging to receive reviews. Secondly, I would like to apologize for the time it took me to update this fic. This chapter is quite short, but the next one will be up soon and I'll try to write it a bit longer. **

* * *

Andy took the keys out of Sharon's hand and unlocked the door to her apartment. She was too exhausted to drive home from the hospital and she seemed a little distracted and wobbly. Sleeping in a chair for two nights certainly took its toll on her and Andy decided that at least tonight, she'll get to sleep properly without having to take care of Wendy. He wasn't going to argue about it, but just state it as a fact. He knew that Sharon would probably insist on getting up to take care of Wendy when she cried, but Andy intended to be faster than her, which was not expected to be hard considering how tired Sharon was.

"You go take a shower and I will put Wen to sleep," he said and kissed her cheek. She nodded slowly. She had a suspicion that he wouldn't let her do anything and even though normally she would be determined to do everything on her own, she was too tired to reject Andy's help.

She filled the bathtub and sank into the water like a rock, slowly letting the heat of the water unravel her nerves and soothe her aching body. She leaned back and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and reminding herself that everything was going to be okay, that Wendy will get better and that an ear infection in babies is always tough, even for experienced mothers like her. A knock on the door drew her away from her thoughts.

"Sharon?" It was Andy's voice. She looked down at herself. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," Sharon took a moment before answering. It was clear to both Andy and her that they were in a relationship, but they were taking it slow. They haven't seen each other naked yet. In fact, they haven't even touched each other intimately. Andy opened the door and Sharon brought her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Andy came into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bathtub. "Is everything okay with Wendy?"

"She's sleeping. Rusty called from his friend's house to ask how Wen is doing." Andy informed her.

"Did he say which friend's he's at?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, he's at Anna's house." Andy replied.

"Anna's?" Sharon's face became flush and Andy gently squeezed her bare shoulder.

"He knew you'll be worried about this," he grinned, "So he informed me that he's sleeping in their guest room and her parents are at home." He could see Sharon's obvious relief upon hearing this information and he leaned forward a bit and captured her lips. 'You worry too much." He situated himself on his knees behind the bathtub and put his palms on her shoulders. The sudden contact made her flinch.

"Relax. I'm just going to give you a back massage," he said and started rubbing her neck and shoulders. His thumbs pressed into her skin, eliciting a deep sigh from the depths of Sharon's throat. "When Wendy gets better, I'd like us to go on a real date, what do you think?"

"What kind of date?" Sharon wondered.

"I don't know. Whatever we want to do," Andy replied. "We can go to a movie; we can go to the beach, a restaurant, dancing…"

"Hmm" was the only sound that came out of Sharon's mouth. It wasn't very telling and Andy didn't know what to make of it.

"We could do other things, you know. If you have any other ideas…"

"No, your ideas are fine." Sharon replied.

"You're not interested, are you?" It was more a statement than a question.

"I never said that."

"Your tone sort of did." Andy replied. "Listen, we don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. It was just an idea."

"I liked the idea of going on a date with you. I'm just too tired to consider anything specific right now." Sharon explained as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body, not caring anymore whether or not Andy sees her naked. "Listen, go check on Wendy and then we'll just go to bed, okay?" Andy planted a kiss on her lips before leaving the room to check on Wendy. Sharon took this time to slip into her pajama – a tank top and track pants that were a little oversized. She walked out of the bathroom and saw Andy gently picking the sleeping baby from her stroller and carrying her to her crib in Sharon's room. Sharon followed him and slipped into her bed. "Come on," she whispered.

"I usually sleep in my underwear. Are you comfortable with it?" he asked. Sharon nodded slowly and put her head down on her pillow, waiting for him. He crawled into bed and she cuddled against him, leaning her head on his chest. Andy pulled her lips to his for a soft kiss. "Good night, beautiful," he said when their lips parted.

"Night, Andy," her voice was faint enough and it was only moments later when Andy heard her steady breaths and knew she was asleep. He kissed the crown of her head and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body against his as he drifted into sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Sharon stretched her arms and feet before her eyes fluttered open and took in the sunlight that infiltrated into her bedroom through the see-through silver curtains. She yawned as she pushed herself up and let her feet touch the parquet floor. She walked over to Wendy's crib and found the baby was not in it. Then she smelled the whiff of a sweet pastry and she understood someone – either Andy or Rusty – was in her kitchen making breakfast. She walked out of her room, lazily dragging her feet and saw Andy standing in her kitchen in boxers and an apron, frying pancakes. Wendy was awake in her playpen and looked calm.

"Good morning, beautiful." Andy said cheerfully. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and relishing his warmth. "How did you sleep?"

"Incredibly well," she spoke the words against his skin. "Thank you, Andy, you're amazing."

"No, you are amazing yourself," Andy pulled away from her gently and was about to plant a kiss on her lips when she stopped him.

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet," she said.

"Who cares?" Andy captured her lips anyway. She smiled into the kiss. Her husband and most of her other partners would have cared about it, she thought. Having Andy as her partner felt like winning the grand prize in the lottery.

"Did you give Wen her medicine?" She asked as they pulled apart.

"Yes, and changed her diaper and fed her." Andy replied. "Now all that's left is to feed you," his finger sank into her belly, drawing out a giggle out of her mouth. "Ticklish, aren't we?" He asked and Sharon wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her lips.

Rusty unlocked the door and put his backpack down on the floor before he followed the smell of fresh pancakes into the kitchen, a little flabbergasted but also not surprised to discover Sharon leaning with her back against the counter, her arms wrapped around Andy's neck and her lips between his. He stood there and watched them for a moment. Anyone who knew him well enough would expect him to be disgusted by the sight of his foster mother (who was probably old enough to be his grandmother) making out with her half-naked boyfriend in the kitchen. But he didn't find any of that revolting. From a very young age he had to endure the sight of his mother being sexual around her boyfriends – boyfriends she didn't necessarily love or care about, boyfriends who were violent and addicted to drugs and alcohol, boyfriends who couldn't care less about his mother and were in it solely for the sex. Seeing Sharon and Andy kiss was a complete contrast to the kind of kisses he witnessed as a child. It was a kiss that expressed Sharon and Andy's utter love for each other and it didn't take a scientist to see that. He wanted more than anything to see Sharon happy and it seemed that she found her happiness in the form of Andy. He didn't want to interrupt them and was about to go to his room when Andy noticed him.

"Hey, kid!" he called out. Rusty noticed how flushed Sharon's face became as she realized he saw them kissing.

"Hi," Rusty smiled. Sharon had this innocence about her that his mother never had. It was almost like she was a child, but Rusty loved it in her.

"Breakfast is almost ready if you wanna sit with us." Sharon's voice was a little hoarse. Rusty found it cute that she didn't move out of Andy's arms.

"Sure," Rusty said and went into the kitchen. He opened one of the cupboards and took three plates out. "How is Wendy doing?"

"She's much better. She didn't wake up too many times at night. I think the worse of this ear infection is already behind us," Andy replied and Rusty couldn't help but noticing his use of the word 'us'. Under other circumstances it might have made him jealous but at this time he liked having Andy as a part of their family. It felt very domestic and reassuring. Finally he was a part of a normal family, even though in reality they were anything but what would be considered a normal family. First, Sharon not being his biological mother and Andy not being his father, through Wendy only being his half-sister and lastly, the secretive nature of Sharon and Andy's relationship, which he figured out was due to the fact that they worked together. But even though in society's standards they were not considered a family, it sure felt like they were.

They were sitting around the table and having breakfast. Sharon usually wasn't keen on having or making pancakes for breakfast, so Rusty knew that it was Andy's idea. And he thought these were the best pancakes he's ever eaten. They were big and fluffy and soft, unlike the ready-made frozen pancakes his mother used to buy.

"I have something to tell you," he declared and shoved a forkful of pancake into his mouth. Sharon raised her eyes from her plate and looked at him attentively. "Last night before we went to sleep, Anna and I talked about our feelings," he paused. "I told her that I really like her." Andy sent his hand to squeeze Sharon's knee under the table. He knew that she saw it coming but by the look on her face, she was obviously caught off-guard. "I wasn't even sure if I liked girls before I met her, you know, because of… the time I lived on my own." For some reason that was beyond her grasp, Sharon was surprised to discover than Rusty has contemplated his sexuality, even though the fact that he has made perfect sense. "Anyway, she said that she also has feelings for me, but she didn't know how to tell me, so we decided to start seeing each other, you know, like dating."

"Rusty, that is wonderful," Sharon's voice was a little high pitched.

"And we spoke to her parents this morning. They like me, I think."

"Of course they like you, Rusty. You are a great person. What's not to like?" Rusty had to admit to himself that he was a little surprised by Sharon's enthusiasm.

"And they also said that they have no problem with us going out together as long as we're careful. I wasn't quite sure what they meant," he informed them. Sharon and Andy exchanged gazes for a moment.

"I think they meant that you should use protection once the two of you decide to become sexually active," Sharon said. It was clear to her that she needed to give Rusty the talk. He was smart and it would obviously not be his first sexual experience, but she also wasn't sure how much he knew about contraceptives. His school didn't have any sex education in the curriculum so she clearly needed to take it upon herself and make sure he was well informed about sexual health and birth control.

"You mean like not get her pregnant?" Rusty asked.

"Yes and also preventing STD's." Sharon never imagined having this talk over the breakfast table.

"STD's?" Rusty quirked his eyebrows.

"Sexually Transmitted Diseases." Andy replied.

"I don't think I ever heard about this before." Rusty said.

"Well, there are some diseases that are passed through sexual contact and some of them are treatable and curable while some are not and they could cause real health issues," Sharon explained.

"That sounds gross." Rusty declared.

"It is, kind of," Sharon replied, "But the good news is that you can prevent them if you use protection."

"She means using condoms, kid." Andy elaborated.

"Anyway, I think Anna's parents were a little early with their warning." Sharon paused for a moment, "Anna and you didn't even go on a date yet, so unless you're planning to have sex on your first date, which I personally hope you're not, you shouldn't worry about this right now."

"Thanks, you two… I never figured that liking someone could be so complicated."

"Hey, kid. Don't let it discourage you. It's worth the effort," Andy threw a glance at Sharon and then smiled at Rusty.

"Andy is right, Rusty. Just take it one step at a time. For now, you should think about where you want to go on your first date." Sharon said.

"I was thinking maybe going out for coffee. Anna really likes coffee. What do you think?" Rusty asked.

"It's a great idea, Rusty. What do you think about taking her out tonight? It's the weekend, so you can stay out later than on weekdays." Sharon suggested.

"Yeah, that's an awesome idea," he replied excitedly. "Can I take the car?"

"Definitely not," Sharon declared. "You just got your permit. You're not supposed to drive on your own so unless you want me to tag along, the two of you can either walk or use public transportation."

"I guess you can't have everything," Rusty shrugged. "May I be excused? I wanna go call Anna and see if she's free tonight."

"Sure, go ahead." Sharon smiled and as Rusty left the table, she looked into Andy's eyes. "You know what that means, right?"

"Tell me," Andy teased her.

"You and I have the entire evening for ourselves," she said playfully and wrapped her arms around his neck, gently pulling him closer. "And I have a few…" she captured his lips. "…ideas how…" she pressed another kiss against his lips. "…we could spend it."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N****: For the sake of not changing this story's rating, I didn't wrote this chapter as fluffy rather than smutty, but I'm sure you can fill the missing parts on your own. I also want to thank you again for you lovely comments. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.**

* * *

Sharon closed the door behind Rusty and leaned against it, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth and a faux innocent gaze in her eyes. Andy was sitting on the couch in the living room and looking at her. His eyes were fixed on her face, and started traveling downwards. She kept leaning against the door, but arched her back a little and Andy found the movement very enticing. He dragged himself up and walked over to her, placing his hands on either side of her hips and pulling her body close to his. A mischievous glint perked in her eyes and her lips curved up in a playful smile as she pressed her lips to his.

"Shall we head to the bedroom?"

* * *

Her fingers caressed their way up from his stomach to his chest and her mouth followed them with a trail of kisses. Andy's hand ran down her back and gave her butt a gentle squeeze, extracting an excited giggle from between her lips. He would have never imagined that the Captain could be so vocal during sex; even though he was quite sure she toned it down a little so she wouldn't wake Wendy up. He was also surprised to discover that she was quite unconventional in bed and very confident about it which was a big turn on for him. Her lips finished their journey upwards with a kiss on his lips. Andy wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her.

"I love you, Sharon," he said breathlessly. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck and her lips brushed against his skin.

"I love you too," her voice was almost a whisper against his neck, but he heard it and loved the tenderness in which the words came out of her mouth.

"You know, I don't think I got the chance to thank you for letting me in. Being part of your life means a lot to…" her lips swallowed the last words of the sentence.

"When you say things like this I understand why all the young women fall at your feet."

"I hope they don't bruise too badly, because I'm already holding a beautiful woman in my arms and I don't intend to let her go." He could feel her heart beating against his chest and as he looked into her eyes, he saw that they were glistening with tears.

"I can't even express how lucky I feel to have you, Andy." She buried her face in his chest and he rubbed her back in circular motions to soothe her.

"You're no luckier than I am." He whispered and kissed the crown of her head. "And I hope that you don't make a habit of crying after having incredibly good sex." His words made her chuckle through her tears. "What time is it?" Sharon reached for her iPhone and checked the time. She showed it to Andy.

"Can you believe it's only been an hour since Rusty left?" she grinned.

"We were quick, huh?" Andy groaned as he rolled her over on her back.

"You were," she teased him.

"You vixen," he tickled her stomach, extracting a string of uncontrollable giggles out of her mouth.

"Stop, Wen is going to wake up." Sharon managed to say in between giggles and Andy ceased from tickling her. She arched her back and closed the gap between their bodies, enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers. "I don't think that I've been so happy in a long time, Andy," she said and caressed his cheek, letting her palm linger on his face for a moment. "You know how sometimes you have everything you wanted – money, a good job, family – but something is still missing?"

"Yeah," Andy replied.

"I didn't even realize how empty I felt until you came into my life," her voice was emotional and Andy secretly hoped she won't burst into tears again.

"I'm glad you're happy now and I'm honored to be the person who makes you feel this way, Sharon." He planted a soft kiss on her lips and then proceeded downwards, to suck at the base of her neck. Sharon emitted a long and deep moan and a smile spread on her lips. Suddenly they heard a loud growl coming from Andy's stomach and he pulled away from a neck and looked at her with a boyish grin as he rubbed his stomach lightly.

"You know, there are still five hours until Rusty should be back and we haven't eaten dinner yet, so what do you think about going out on our date?"

"I think we should take a shower first," Sharon smiled and her lips brushed against his shoulder as she released herself from under his body.

"You're going to need some help washing," Andy teased her as he followed her out of the room and into the bathroom.

"Oh, I most certainly will." Sharon replied as she turned the tap and pulled him under the stream of water, her lips coming in contact with his. "I don't think I can clean all those dirty thoughts running around my head on my own."


	15. Chapter 15

Sharon felt Andy's hands wrap around her waist from behind as she lit the candle on the cake Rusty helped her bake and decorate. She might not have been a wonderful cook, but she could certainly bake and Wendy's first birthday was a great reason for a celebration. She turned her head as much as she could and looked into his eyes.

"What do you think?" she asked and motioned towards the cake.

"I think that you've made a beautiful cake, but Wen's going to eat this with her hands anyway." Andy grinned and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"I know, but that's part of the fun of it." She replied and lifted the cake from the kitchen counter. Andy released his hold of her waist and followed her to the dining table where Wendy was seated in her high chair and thrashing her sippy cup on the table. "Happy birthday to Wendy…" Sharon sang and was joined by Andy, Rusty and Anna. Sharon placed the cake within a safe distance from Wendy, whose expression was partly overwhelmed and partly amused. Sharon snapped a few photos of Wendy and the cake with her iPhone and then demonstrated to the baby how to blow the candle out. She didn't expect Wendy to grasp it, but watching her making faces was very funny. Eventually, she let Rusty blow the candle out and she patted his shoulder.

"I… well, we have an announcement to make," Rusty said. Sharon and Andy turned to look at them, unsure where this was leading. "Both of us have been accepted to UCLA, so we decided to move in together before the school year starts." He laced his fingers with Anna's and she squeezed them lightly. Anna's parents weren't too thrilled about these news when they heard them and they weren't sure how Sharon was going to accept them. Sharon and Andy exchanged confused gazes and Rusty felt his heart racing. He and Anna were a couple for almost a year now and they loved each other a lot. Moving in together seemed quite natural.

"I thought you'd continue living here, to be honest," Sharon said after a long silence.

"Wendy is growing up and she'll need a room of her own soon, so you're gonna need the spare room anyway." Rusty explained.

"Actually, Andy and I were talking about moving out of here, so you and Wen can have bigger rooms. We were waiting for Cynthia to approve Andy as Wen's legal guardian before we start looking for houses." Her voice expressed deep disappointment.

"We figured it's a long drive from here to UCLA too, so it's better if we lived closer to college than having to drive 45 minutes from our houses every morning," Rusty explained. "And why does Cynthia need to approve Andy as…"

"Because Andy and I want to move in together and I have to report to DCFS of every changes in my status." Sharon replied. "Anyway, if the two of you want to live together that's fine. You're eighteen, so I couldn't stop you even if I tried. But I do hope you're going to visit us often," she said.

"I'm not leaving just yet, Sharon," Rusty crossed the distance between them and hugged her. "And of course I'll come visit you. How else will I get to see this little munchkin?" He picked Wendy from her high chair and swung her in the air. She giggled and he hugged her and kissed her cheek. Anna smiled and brought her lips to Wendy's other cheek and Sharon took the chance to capture the moment on her iPhone. "I hope you don't think I'm ungrateful," Rusty said.

"Of course not; it's natural; kids leave the house when they're grown." Sharon shrugged. Rusty could see by the look in her eyes that it wasn't her favorable situation and he wanted her to know how much he appreciated everything she's done for him. He knew that Anna would help him think of a way to thank her properly and he was also glad to hear that Andy was about to move in with her, so she wouldn't be alone again.

"Nam!" Wendy sent her arms forward towards the cake.

"I think she's trying to tell us something," Andy grinned and reached for a knife to cut the cake.

* * *

Andy sighed as Sharon turned in bed for the fifth time in less than fifteen minutes. They were both still awake: Sharon because of the personal interviews that Cynthia was supposed to conduct with the two of them in the morning and Andy because of Sharon's restless tossing and turning. He knew why she was worried about the interviews and he could understand her fear that something would go wrong and Cynthia would decide to transfer Wendy to a different foster family. Only the thought of that made him cringe. Sharon had told him numerous times of Cynthia's clear warnings not to get too attached to Rusty and Wendy. "It's bad for the child and it's bad for the foster parents. Foster care is temporary," Sharon scornfully repeated Cynthia's explanation. If Cynthia ever fostered a child she'd know how illogical those words were. Andy and Sharon had been together for a year now and he was also well attached to Wendy. He loved the little monster just as much as he loved his own children and he didn't want to see her being taken away from them.

"Sharon, it will be okay," he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"What if it won't? So much can go wrong and if Cynthia would not approve your guardianship, Wendy could be taken away." Sharon's voice was melancholic.

"We're going to pass these interviews with flying colors. And Cynthia is a good person, somewhere deep inside, I'm sure. She'll see that we love each other and we love Wendy and really, when you think about it, there isn't a better place for Wendy than our family." Andy said.

"Andy, there is so much that doesn't qualify us as a couple to be Wendy's caretakers," Sharon said. "We're not married to each other, you're a recovering alcoholic, you're my subordinate officer, and this fact alone makes our relationship illegitimate and on top of all that you have a huge package of accusations of witness intimidations and use of force which suggest that you have violent nature."

"But I do not have violent nature, Sharon." Andy sat up and looked at her. "And unless you or the new head of FID gave them to her, I don't think Cynthia even has access to my package."

"What if she does?" It's been a long time since Andy has heard Sharon sounding so desperate.

"Now you're just being paranoid, Sharon. Whatever happens tomorrow, Cynthia will not take Wendy away. She's seen me with Rusty and Wendy countless times. Everything will be okay." Andy pulled her into his arms.

"I hate it when people say this to me," she muttered and pulled away from him.

"Say what?" Andy arched his brow.

"That everything will be okay. It's a horrible way of dismissing someone else's fears." Sharon threw the blanket aside and went out of bed. She walked over to Wendy's crib and looked at the sleeping baby.

"I'm not trying to dismiss your fears, Sharon." Andy followed her out of bed and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair and inhaling her scent deeply.

"You are."

"You know I'm not," he placed a kiss between her shoulder blades. "Let's get back to bed."

"I don't want to get back to bed, Andy," she replied stubbornly.

"So what, you're just going to stand here all night long and look at her? Come on, Sharon! You're so tired and scared that you don't even make sense right now."

"I don't make sense to you, maybe." Sharon didn't mean to raise her voice, but her emotions got the better of her.

"I don't want us to fight. It will just make you feel worse."

"Then go back to bed," she heard the mattress squeaking under Andy's weight as he sat down on the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath in an attempt to choke back her tears as she bent down and stroked Wendy's soft hair. She could feel Andy's eyes piercing through her back. "Stop staring at me," her voice came out as an annoyed whisper.

"I can't sleep knowing you are so upset with me." Andy said.

"Then go sleep in another room," Sharon's voice was apathetic and every word sounded like a sigh.

"Sharon, don't do this, please. I understand you're stressed, but you're letting it affect you too deeply. What are you going to do in three years when Sharon Beck is released from prison and wants her daughter back?"

"Get out of here!" Sharon's voice was dangerously low and Andy knew that he said the wrong thing at the very wrong moment.

"It's 2 AM. Will you get a grip of yourself?" Andy tried.

"I asked you to leave, Andy. I don't want you here. Dress up and go home." Andy stared at her in disbelief and then turned on the light in the lantern that stood on the bedside table and located his clothes. He pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"You don't know what you're doing," he said and left the room, leaving only silence behind him. Upon hearing her apartment door shut, the realization that she has made a horrible mistake washed over her. Her heart sank inside her like a heavy stone and her eyes filled up with tears. It was too late to go after him, too late to apologize and tell him how much she loved him and cared for him. The only thing left around her was the choking silence and heartache of the possible loss of her lover and her foster daughter.


	16. Chapter 16

An irritating sound brought Sharon out of the haze she was in. It felt as if her mind pushed through the grey fog that separated wakefulness and sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and she drew a deep, sudden and sharp breath, as if she was caught underwater without the ability to take in air. She looked down at herself. She wasn't sure how she got into the bed. She must have been half-asleep when she dragged herself in between the sheets. The irritating sound became louder and Sharon reached out for her mobile phone and turned off the alarm. She wished that she could just turn around and stay in bed, but the room was already sunlit and the light managed to penetrate through her eyelids. There was no use in trying to fall back asleep. She pushed herself out of bed, feeling heavy with sleep and exhaustion. Wendy was already awake and sitting in her crib, babbling incoherent words. Sharon lifted her up in her arms and kissed the crown of her head.

"I love you, Wendy. You're my pretty girl, no matter what anyone says," she felt the tears stinging her eyes. It was easy to become possessive of a baby rather than a teenager and Sharon realized that while she tried to stay impartial whenever it came to Rusty, she couldn't do the same with Wendy.

Wendy entangled her fingers in Sharon's hair, pulling it without mercy. Sharon grinned and released the little hand's grasp of her hair.

"Lon," Wendy prattled. She was not able to pronounce Sharon's name and so she referred to her as Lon or Lo. Sharon was comfortable with not being called 'mama' by the baby. At one year old, Wendy could not possibly associate the word with her anyway, since both Rusty and Andy called her by her first name. It was only natural for Wendy to address her with her name as well.

"We have a long day, honey. We have to get ready." She had prepared a nice dress for Wendy on the previous evening. She wasn't very hopeful about what the day was about to bring, but she knew that whatever it is – she will face it to the best of her ability.

With Wendy in her arms, she went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Wendy smiled at her reflection in the mirror and Sharon altered her grip on the baby's body so Wendy can see herself better.

"Lon," Wendy tried to reach out to Sharon's reflection in the mirror.

"I'm right here, sweetie," Sharon said and took Wendy's soft toothbrush. Wendy chewed on the soft bristles of her toothbrush and Sharon smiled at her, hoping that Wendy will imitate her and make it easier for her to brush her teeth. After successfully getting Wendy to open her mouth and allow her to brush her teeth, Sharon washed her face. Wendy put her little hands under the stream of water and then dabbed them on Sharon's tank top, accompanying the action with an excited giggle. Sharon found that even in her hardest moments, Wendy could make her smile. Her laughter was contagious and her smile was not something any person would be able to ignore. "Come on, it's time for breakfast."

With Wendy sitting in her high chair, Sharon had time to make herself a cup of much needed coffee. She mashed some fruits for Wendy while the water was boiling and placed the plate in front of Wendy as she took a seat in front of her, slowly sipping her coffee. Wendy dipped her fingers in her plate and then put them in her mouth. "Here, Wendy." Sharon handed her a spoon and curled the baby's fingers around the handle. Gently, she held Wendy's hand and showed her how to feed herself. "Good girl!" she said excitedly. Wendy gave her a toothy smile and dunked her spoon in her plate, then brought it to her mouth. Sharon leaned back and sipped her coffee slowly. Wendy was a smart baby and a fast learner. She was a little slow in the talking department, but well developed in all other areas. After raising two children of her own, Sharon was not worried about Wendy's limited vocabulary and delay of speech. She knew that it was just taking her some time. Wendy started thumping on her plate with her spoon and Sharon put down her cup and looked at the baby. "No, Wendy," her voice was stern.

"Lay!" Wendy called out happily.

"No play. Eat." Sharon said. Wendy kept thumping on the plate and Sharon took the spoon from the baby's hand and dipped it in the plate, picking up some food and feeding Wendy. "You little attention seeker," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Sharon walked into Cynthia's office, carrying Wendy in her arms. Her spine was becoming stiffer with every step she took and she could feel the tension in every muscle in her body. Cynthia smiled and offered her a seat which Sharon gladly accepted, given that her legs were shaking.

"How is Rusty doing?" Cynthia asked. Rusty was no longer a minor and therefore not under Cynthia's supervision anymore, but she was still fond of him.

"He's fine. He's graduating in a month. We're all very excited." Sharon informed her.

"Was he accepted to college?"

"Yes. He's gonna attend UCLA. I wanted him to apply to other colleges as well, but he didn't want to go to school too far from home," Sharon shrugged.

"I'm happy to hear that," Cynthia said. "Now, we already conducted your interview when you took Rusty in, so there's no need to do it again. However, I would like to learn more about your relationship with Lieutenant Flynn."

"Of course; what would you like to know?" Sharon asked. Wendy was sitting in her lap and playing with a soft toy.

"First, please tell me how the two of you got together." Cynthia instructed.

"Well, Andy and I have been working together for a few years now. After I took Wendy in, he's been very helpful, we became good friends and the relationship simply evolved." Sharon explained.

"In what ways was he helping you with Wendy?"

"He's been feeding her, playing with her, singing to her. He does almost everything I do. He's been also helpful with Rusty, driving him to school and helping him with his homework," she said.

"And I understand the two of you intend to move in together." Cynthia said.

"Yes. We want to move into a bigger house. Wendy's crib is in my room at the moment and we thought that she should have a room of her own."

"Are you aware of Lieutenant Flynn's background?" Cynthia asked.

"If you are referring to his alcoholism, he has been sober for nearly twenty years. He regularly attends AA meetings and he mentors other recovering alcoholics." Sharon said.

"Is he in contact with his sponsor?"

"Yes, and he's been thinking of becoming one himself." Sharon said.

"What about his health?" Cynthia inquired.

"He's in perfect health. He works out, has all the regular checkups, no allergies, eats healthy and doesn't have any history of heart disease or diabetes in his family." Sharon was starting to get tired of Cynthia's nosy questions. She knew that it was her job to ask them, but it didn't make her thrilled to reply to them.

"And where do you see this relationship heading, Captain?"

"Hopefully, we will move in together soon and remain in a loving and committed relationship." Sharon replied. Cynthia didn't need to know about every falling out they had and she was convinced that whatever happened on the previous night can be resolved.

"And how does that work with the fact that you are married to another man?" Sharon knew that Cynthia tried to sound soft, but the question was terrifying nonetheless.

"Well, my husband lives in a different state, We rarely see each other or talk." Sharon explained.

"Why are you not getting a divorce?"

"My husband and I are catholic and while I am keen on the idea of divorce, my husband opposes the process and therefore it is not possible to complete."

"And what if Andy wants to marry you?" Sharon felt the sudden urge to smack Cynthia on the head. Was it really necessary to ask these questions?

"Andy and I have discussed this matter and he is well aware of my marital status. To the best of my knowledge he does not wish to marry again, so that is not likely to happen," she felt her stomach twitching, wondering where Andy was and if he had said the same things in his interview and if he attended it at all.

"And if the two of you split up, how do you suppose it would affect Wendy?"

"Hopefully, that won't happen," Sharon replied. Those questions were getting her annoyed by the moment and Cynthia seemed to notice it.

"Hypothetically speaking," Cynthia clarified.

"If that ever happens, both of us will do our best efforts to make this transition easy for Wendy." It seemed to her as if Cynthia had a specific concern about the aspect of Andy being her partner and she hoped that she would just put things on the table rather than beating around the bush.

"I see," Cynthia looked down at some of Wendy's monthly reports. Sharon squinted and gently adjusted Wendy's position on her lap. "If I said to you that I cannot approve Andy's application, what would you do?" Sharon felt as if Cynthia kicked her in the stomach.

"If you concluded that his presence is not beneficial for Wendy, I would comply with your demands." Sharon knew that the answer was vague enough to be interpreted in more than one way.

"If DCFS decided that in order to keep Wendy in your custody you would need to end your romantic relationship with Andrew Flynn, would you do it?" Cynthia wondered.

"I'd be sorry to do so, but I would if it meant Wendy could continue staying with me," Sharon replied, unsure whether the question was hypothetical or not.

"I have met with Andy earlier this morning and while I have some concerns about your relationship and the way it might affect Wendy in the future, I will approve his application for guardianship. The two of you will be under regular DCFS supervision until further notice. Should the two of you split up, Wendy will stay with you and Andy's guardianship will be terminated." Cynthia declared and Sharon exhaled in relief. She thanked Cynthia and kissed the crown of Wendy's head. "Captain, I want to make something clear. Sharon Beck will be released from prison in three years and Wendy will have to leave your custody."

"I'm aware of that," Sharon didn't want to think about it, but she knew that it was inevitable.

"I know that despite my previous warnings, you are emotionally attached to Wendy and Rusty. I am also aware of the fact that I am a thorn in your side. You should know that my only interest is Wendy's well being. It might seem to you like I don't care, but in order to perform my job I need to remain impartial. It's important for you to remember this."


	17. Chapter 17

Sharon's feeling alternated between extreme happiness and deep concern as she unstrapped Wendy and lifted her from her baby seat. She didn't know whether or not Andy already knew that he was approved as Wendy's guardian, but she was about to inform him. She hoped he would also accept her apology for her behavior on the previous night.

Locking her car, she walked down the path leading to his house. She knocked on the door and Wendy imitated her and pounded on the door with her little hands. Sharon smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the Wendy's strawberry blonde head. Andy opened the door and seemed surprised to see her. He moved from the doorway and Sharon came into his house. Wendy reached out and tugged on his shirt.

"Ady," she squealed in excitement. Andy took her from Sharon's arms and kissed her cheek gently. Sharon inspected him and the way he interacted with Wendy. He was perfect and she hoped that she didn't blow it.

"I am so sorry for the way I treated you last night, Andy," her voice was emotional. "I was horrible to you."

"You were stressed," Andy leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her lips. "And we can always remember last night as the date of our first lovers quarrel."

"Hopefully it would also be the last one," Sharon said.

"I seriously doubt it, but I love you anyway," Andy grinned. "So, what did Cynthia say?"

"I don't think she's a big fan of our relationship, but she approved your application," Sharon replied.

"That's great, Sharon." Andy drew her lips to his for a kiss and smiled to her as they pulled apart. "You know, this is the closest to parents Wendy is ever going to have."

"At least for the next three years," Sharon sighed.

"Cynthia is a self righteous bitch, but she was right about one thing. Becoming attached to your foster child is hard. Sharon, we can't change the world. Wendy will have to go back to her mother eventually and it will be hard for all of us, but for the time being we are here for her. We can give her all our love and hope that even after she is no longer in our custody she is still loved." Andy pressed his lips to her temple and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "But three years are a long time and we should use them wisely, so let's go out and have some fun. What do you say?" he spoke the last words to Wendy who smiled at him. "I think she's all for it."

"For sure," Sharon smirked. "What do you have in mind?"

"A stroll down Venice Beach," he replied.

"And maybe after we get back we could pick Rusty up from Anna's and go out for dinner," Sharon suggested.

"Sounds just right to me, babe," Andy smiled and drew her into his arms.

* * *

Sharon stood on a ladder and painted the walls in Wendy's room lilac. Not many people knew this about her, but she loved decorating rooms and if she wasn't a cop, she would probably be an interior designer. When her daughter turned 12, Sharon sent her for a vacation at her grandparents and redesigned her room so it would better suit her age. And when she found out that her 10 years old son was obsessed with Winnie the Pooh, she painted the characters from the book on his wall.

Now, she decided to decorate Wendy's room in Japanese style. Once the walls were dry, she planned to draw a cherry tree. She knew it would be easier to use wallpaper, but that would feel so unnatural for her creative fingers.

Andy came into the room and handed her a bottle of water. She was working in the room since early in the morning and Andy thought that she could use a break and hydrate her body.

"Maybe we could go out for lunch," he offered.

"I really want to finish painting Wen's room today," Sharon replied.

"Can I help somehow?" Andy grabbed a paintbrush.

"No, I can do it. I have one more wall to paint and then I'll leave it all to dry."

"Is it going to take long?" Andy asked.

"Maybe an hour," Sharon estimated. "If you want we can go out for lunch then."

"Who would have ever guessed you were so into painting rooms?" Andy wondered.

"Hey, I don't just paint them. I decorate them too." Sharon said.

"Well, I'm dying to see the final result." Andy teased her. "By the way, you're so sexy in dungarees. You should wear them more often." His eyes scanned her from top to bottom. She was wearing short dungarees, a white tank top and her hair was braided and covered with a bandana, and parts of her legs and arms were stained with paint. Andy thought she was especially cute in this attire.

"What are you staring at?" She grinned at the way he devoured her with his eyes.

"Apparently at a woman who keeps some secrets from me, like the fact that she can drill a hole in the wall or fix the plumbing on her own." Andy smirked. Over the past week he's seen her do a lot of handy work around their new house and he was immensely impressed with it.

"I didn't have a man in the house to do those things for me, so I had to learn how to them on my own," she shrugged.

"Uh, I feel incompetent now." Andy joked.

"Well, you know. There are some things I can't do on my own. If you let me finish painting this room, I'll tell you about them at lunch," she teased him.

"Now that sounds like something I would like to hear."

"Be a good boy and I'll even let you demonstrate." She brushed her lips against his and then shooed him out of the room and grabbed her paintbrush. As much as she enjoyed his presence, she needed to get the work done and the walls certainly didn't paint themselves.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**: I'd like to answer a few questions asked in a review by Gillian. The chapter is under the line, so feel free to skip.

In regards to Sharon's marital status, I'll just quote her words about the matter from The Closer: "It's all very Catholic". I've done a little research about it and to the best of my knowledge from the few clues presented on the show, while she is legally separated in the eyes of the law, she is still married in the eyes of God.

In regards to Sharon Beck's custody – I'm not from California or from the States, so I can't be a 100% sure about it but prior to writing this story, I researched this a bit and it seems that if a parent didn't give up their parental rights or lost custody of the child, they still have the right to get the child back. Since Sharon Beck is in prison, she can't have Wendy at the moment, but obviously, when she is released, she will be able to take him back by law. In addition, please note that she has never lost her custody of Rusty in the show. She chose to abandon him and she is an awful mother, but she's never signed a paper that states that she gives up her parental rights nor has she lost custody of Rusty. So the same goes for Wendy in the story. In that sense, her history of abandonment and substance abuse do not automatically take away her parental rights, especially if she is clean now.

I hope this answers your questions and that you continue to enjoy this story. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Sharon pushed the door open with her leg and manhandled Anna into the apartment. At the same time, Andy manhandled Rusty. They were covering the teenagers' eyes with their hands and smiled at each other before removing their hands. Before the start of their school year, Sharon demanded to be the one looking for apartment for them and they agreed. Anna's parents were in great disagreement with their daughter's wish to move out of their house which created a rift between them. Just like Rusty has when he was troubled, Anna has found a friend in Sharon and became quite close to her.

Sharon wasn't surprised. Her experience with her own children taught her that teenagers are often not heard by adults and she could understand Anna's situation. She also wasn't thrilled at first with the fact of Rusty moving out, but she knew that he could take care of himself and she was sure he and Anna would do well living together.

"Surprise!" she called out as the two teenagers blinked and looked around them. After realizing where they were, their arms came around each other.

"I can't believe it, Sharon. This is amazing, thank you." Sharon had taken the liberty to paint the walls and decorate the house. Rusty and Anna could practically move in the same day if they wanted. They both drew Sharon into a hug.

"We knew you were planning something, but we didn't imagine you'd get our apartment ready," Rusty admitted.

"I hope you like it." A soft blush sprung on her face as she spoke.

"We love it. It's beautiful, Ms. Raydor." Anna looked around her in astonishment.

"So, how much is the rent?" Rusty asked.

"No rent. I want the two of you to concentrate on your school. Get good grades, don't worry about money. The only thing you have to take care of is getting your own food, although you're perfectly welcome to come and eat at our house whenever you want." Sharon smiled at the two stunned teenagers.

"But renting this apartment must be costing you a fortune. We can't possibly let you pay for all of it." Rusty insisted.

"Honey, I've owned this apartment for nearly twenty years. The mortgage has been paid in full a few years ago," she explained.

"So wait, how many apartments do you own?"

"Well, there's the apartment we used to live in which I am now renting out and half the house we live in right now, so that makes two and a half," Sharon explained. "I bought this one for investment and rented it out most of the years, but I figured that this would be perfect for the two of you."

"Well, can we at least pay the electricity and water bills for this place?" Anna asked.

"Really, there's no need," Sharon replied.

"I insist," Rusty said as he wrapped his arm around Anna's shoulders. He loved how her eyes sparkled when she was happy.

"You know what, only half of it. Okay?" Sharon knew that they felt a little uncomfortable with the situation.

"It's a deal." Rusty held out his hand to shake hers. She grinned and shook his hand, smiling shyly.

"You know, Sharon, we also have something for you. We've been planning it for a long time and now seems like the perfect opportunity." Rusty smiled. "We noticed how much of your time you devote to others and we thought you need a little vacation, so we booked a weekend in Big Sur just for you and Andy. We will take care of Wendy, so the two of you can just be together without kids running around." Rusty declared and his heart filled with pride and happiness when he saw the smiles that spread over Sharon and Andy's faces.

"That is very thoughtful of you. Thank you." Sharon and Andy hugged the two of them.

"You deserve it," Rusty replied. A vacation with Andy was his way to repay Sharon for everything she has done for him and he knew that Anna was happy to contribute her share as well, especially after becoming close to Sharon. In his heart, he knew that he'll always be grateful to her for being the mother that Sharon Beck has never been to him and this is a debt he wasn't sure he would ever be able to pay in full.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N****: **This chapter was already written when I found out today is Mother's Day so I've made some small modifications to make it fit the occasion.

* * *

Rusty nervously crushed the paper napkin between his fingers and looked at Sharon miserably. They both knew this day would come but none of them wanted to face it until they absolutely had to. He skipped his noon classes to come and take her for lunch and discuss the subject they didn't even want to think about but could no longer avoid.

"Isn't that ironic that my mom petitioned to the court for custody on Mother's Day?" he asked desperately. She took a sip of her fruit shake and shrugged.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Sharon sighed. Rusty's mother barely waited and three days after her release from prison, she hired a lawyer and filed for guardianship over Wendy.

"What are we going to do?" It seemed to Rusty that Sharon always had the right answers for him. She always knew what to do and how to do it.

"Nothing for now; she just got out of prison. Before the court even considers granting her custody, she needs to clean up her act, find a job and a house and earn enough money to support a child. If she wants to get Wendy, she will need to fight for her in court and it won't be easy for her," Sharon explained.

"But not impossible either," Rusty pointed out.

"True. There is always a chance that she will get Wendy." Sharon agreed.

"What if we do something to prevent her from getting Wendy?"

"Like what?" Sharon took another sip of her fruit shake and almost choked on an ice splinter. She felt it going down her throat and melting slowly and painfully.

"Maybe I could try to get custody," Rusty suggested.

"Rusty, you are 21 years old. You should not raise a child. You should take care of your own future." Sharon tried to hide how touched she was by the way Rusty cared for Wendy, even though she knew it was his role as an older brother.

"I'll be raising a child within a few months anyway," he insisted.

"Wait, what?" Sharon quirked her eyebrows. "Is Anna pregnant?"

"We just found out about it a couple days ago. Wendy would be a much welcome addition and we can be better parents to her than my mother will ever be." Rusty said. Sharon was speechless. She didn't anticipate to hear that Anna is pregnant and that Rusty was about to become a father. She had no doubt Anna and Rusty would be excellent parents. They were great with Wendy and their household would probably be ten times better for Wendy than Sharon Beck's. "Are you okay, Sharon?"

"I'm fine," she swallowed hard. "I just didn't expect these news. How are the two of your feeling about it?"

"We're thrilled. We spoke about getting married once we graduate. Of course, the baby will already be born by then. Anna is kinda scared about what her parents would say. You know what they're like. She's scared that they will shun her."

"I'm sure they won't. They are just overprotective." Sharon shrugged.

"So you see that we can take care of Wen. We are young and we have the patience and she knows us. She's never met my mother. It will be much easier for her to move in with us than to move in with my mother." Rusty explained.

"I appreciate the offer, Rusty, but to be honest, I don't think it's a good idea. You should focus on your school and on how you would support your child once it's born. Let me handle your mother. You know I would not give up on Wendy without a fight the same way I didn't give up on you." Saying these words made her feel powerful and brave, even though she secretly wished that she didn't have to fight for custody at all and hoped that Sharon Beck would give up the idea and settle for simply being a part of her daughter's life.

"I know you won't. I don't think that I will ever be able to thank you for everything you've done for me and Wendy. Not many people in this world are willing to make such a great effort for someone like me." His voice was emotional and brought tears to her eyes.

"You know those moments when someone you don't necessarily know gets into your heart?"

"Doesn't happen to me very often," Rusty admitted.

"Well, that was what happened to me when on the day that I saw you sitting in the murder room and telling me that your foster family was restricting you. You just got into my heart and this is why I took you in." Sharon explained. "You and your sister are as dear to me as my own children and I know that Andy feels the same way. You are family and I love the two of you. I hope you know that."

* * *

Sharon crawled into bed and snuggled close to Andy's body. They haven't seen each other since she left work for lunch with Rusty and when he returned home, she was busy making dinner for Wendy and then helping the girl shower and tucking her into bed; she spent the rest of her evening on the phone with her daughter whom she hasn't spoken to in nearly three months due to a new conflict in Uganda that disabled Jules from contacting her mother. They spoke for nearly three hours and Sharon knew that her daughter was holding something back but she couldn't get Jules to tell her what it was. She could only hope that Jules was well and managed to avoid the conflicted area of the country or at least left it prior to the conflict.

"Long day, huh?" Andy wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't even know," Sharon sighed. "Every time I think things are finally settling down, something new happens."

"Is everything okay with Jules?" Andy could see that Sharon was upset after talking to her daughter. Jules called to wish her mother happy mother's day and Andy thought it would be so much sensible if the girl just left Uganda and came home to visit her mother rather than making her worry about her even more.

"I don't know. She didn't sound well, but she refused to talk about it. I miss her so much and it's getting harder every day. I haven't seen her in six years. I don't even know what she looks like now," she felt tears creeping into her eyes and she knew that she's been holding them back for far too long.

"Is she out of the conflict zone?" Andy wondered.

"I think so, but who knows. She might have been lying about that." Sharon sighed. "And Rusty, oh my God; I haven't even told you."

"What is the kid up to now?" Andy asked.

"Anna is pregnant; he told me that today." Sharon informed him. "They are 21 years old and still in school. How are they going to support a child?"

"You didn't say that to him, did you?" Andy grinned.

"I subtly mentioned he should think about it," she replied.

"Are they going to get married?" Andy could feel how tense Sharon's body was.

"They hope to get married once they graduate. At this stage, it really makes no difference whether they do it or not. And I wish that was the cherry on the cake; no, he is also considering petitioning to the court in order to get custody of Wendy, so his mother won't get her."

"What?" Andy could not sound more dissatisfied even if he tried to. "Is he crazy?"

"I think he's desperate. For now I talked him out of it, but if he goes and does it behind my back…" Sharon sighed.

"You know he won't." Andy replied and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You have a lot on your mind; don't add this one to the list, because Rusty knows how you feel about it and he will never do anything to hurt you."

"I honestly hope so, Andy. It will break my heart if he does."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **I apologize for the long time it took me to update. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Wendy sat on one of the kitchen stools with her back to Sharon and stretched her spine as Sharon braided her strawberry blond hair into two French braids. One of the things Sharon loved even since her own daughter was Wendy's age was to braid her hair. Her daughter almost had the most extraordinary hairstyles thanks to Sharon's braiding skills. She took a step backwards and admired her work and tried to resist the urge to tie two blue ribbons at the ends of Wendy's braids. She smiled to herself and kissed the crown of the girl's head, taking in the scent of the children's shampoo she used on Wendy's hair that morning.

"Sharon, where are we going?" Wendy asked in her sweet childish voice.

"We are going to meet your mommy." Sharon replied. She and Andy wondered how to explain to Wendy about the situation with Sharon Beck. Eventually, Sharon decided to write a story for her about their family and bind it as a book. She put a lot of effort into drawing each member of the family, including Sharon Beck.

"But you are my mommy." Wendy replied with confidence.

"Honey, do you remember the book that we read the other day? About our family?" Sharon asked in the softest tone she had. The kid nodded. "And do you remember what I explained to you about your mommy?" Wendy shook her head slowly. "Well, you and Rusty have another mommy. Her name is Sharon, like me. And she couldn't take care of you, so she asked me to help her and take care of you until she comes back. Do you understand?"

"Why she gave me to you?" Wendy wondered.

"She was in trouble, but now she is okay." Sharon explained and felt her heart slowly breaking. Today's visit was confusing for Wendy and hard on Rusty and she knew that it would be hard for Sharon Beck to get her parental rights again, but having to share Rusty and Wendy with another mother was painful.

"Is she pretty?"

"She looks nice." Sharon replied. She hasn't heard from Sharon Beck or seen her since she went to prison. It was infuriating that all of the sudden she wanted back the child she gave away. It was unfair and careless and Sharon prayed that the visit will be enough to convince her that Wendy was in good hands and should not be torn from everything she knows and loves. Suddenly they heard a knock on the door. "I think Rusty is here," she said and helped Wendy off the stool. Wendy ran to the door and opened it.

"Rusty," she called out happily and wrapped her little arms around his leg. He bent down and took her in his arms, kissing her cheek and smiling at her.

"You get prettier every day." He said to her and she giggled. Sharon walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He looked at her with worried eyes, knowing how hard it must be for her to face this situation again. "You look good, Sharon." He said and squeezed her shoulder. She was wearing a blue pencil skirt and a beige buttoned shirt and even though he always preferred seeing her in casual clothes, he thought that a power suit might give his mother the impression that she shouldn't mess with Sharon.

* * *

Sharon Beck looked at her son as if he fell from space when he told her that he was about to become a father. He could see by the look on her face that she was not pleased or happy about it and he wondered why she even cared about him at all after spending the last five years of his life away from him with barely any contact.

They were sitting in a small café close to his apartment and he let his eyes linger on Wendy who was happily but quite neatly eating ice cream, a paper napkin tucked in the collar of her blue dress.

He wasn't too thrilled that his mother was released. It was easier when she was in prison. He knew she was safe, he knew she was not going anywhere and he knew that Wendy was going to grow up right with Sharon Raydor.

Now that she was free and petitioned for custody, he felt as if the ground was snatched from under his feet. Nothing was certain anymore and Wendy could end up with his mother and who knows what might happen to her.

"So you see, Mom," he said, "I think that Wendy is good where she is. She has Sharon and Andy who love her like their own and she's got Anna and me. And very soon she will have a niece or a nephew. She has a good stable life, just like you wanted." Sharon sat next to him, stretching her back as if to reassure herself. She hoped that Rusty's mother would come to her senses and realize that for once she's done something good and that she should not ruin it.

"Rusty, I know that I screwed up with you big time. I was young when I had you, practically a child and I didn't know how to be a mother, but I do now." Sharon Beck said.

"What? Did they start teaching parenting classes in county jail?" Rusty replied sarcastically.

"Maybe I didn't take any classes, but I did raise you for 15 years," his mother insisted.

"Yeah, you were mother of the year," Rusty muttered. Sharon laid a gentle hand on his knee and he took in a deep breath.

"What do you know about parenting? You are not a father yet and you don't have the slightest idea about what I have been through and the things I had to do in order to raise you," Sharon said, "And now I have a chance to do everything right with your sister."

"I'm sure you made sacrifices with me and I truly believe that you wanted me to be a happy child. If you want the same thing for Wendy, please don't come back into her life and stir things up. She is healthy and has everything she needs. If you really care about her, you won't take her away from everything that makes her happy." Rusty almost begged.

"Look, Sharon, I can see that you gave my daughter a great life," Sharon Beck ignored her son's words. "But you are not her mother and she needs her real mother."

"It's not all in the blood." Sharon replied dryly. "And while I understand how frustrating it is to be away from your child for so long, I do not think that you understand what taking Wendy away from us could do to her. It's not only the fact that she is happy with us; it's also the fact that she doesn't know you as her mother and she is too young to understand the situation but too old to not be traumatized by such a change."

"I get it that you love her and all," Sharon Beck pulled a cigarette and lighted it, carelessly exhaling the smoke in Wendy's direction, and looking amused at the startled expression that spread across Sharon's face. "But you really need to back off. She's my child and I'll fight you in court until I get her back."

"We have to go." Sharon declared as she gracefully pushed her chair back and offered her hand to Wendy, who gladly took it.

"Hey, wait. I'm supposed to get an hour with her!" Sharon Beck called out.

"You just sat at the same table with her for an hour and a half, during which you only tried to make contact with her for the first five minutes." Sharon barked at her. "This visit is over. I have to go and you can call Wendy's caseworker to schedule another visit next week."

"Bye Wendy!" Sharon Beck called out towards the little girl who turned her head and waved with her free hand, too young and innocent to even understand who the woman was.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **It took a very long time to update this story, but this chapter is quite long and I hope you like it. I'd love to know what you think about it.

* * *

Sharon did not expect a visit from Cynthia so soon, but Wendy's caseworker knocked on the door of her office only 2 days after the visit. The moment Cynthia entered the room Sharon understood that she wasn't going to like what Wendy's caseworker had to say.

Cynthia took her time sitting down and pulling out a file and a pen. She looked at Sharon for a moment and her eyes were shaded by compassion and determination at the same time.

"I received a complaint against you yesterday," she started. "Sharon Beck is saying that you are turning her son against her. She is claiming that your behavior towards her in front of Wendy was hostile and she wants to have an unsupervised visit." Cynthia's voice was low and dark.

"This is ridiculous. Cynthia, she sat there for an hour and a half, scolding Rusty for his plans to get married, practically ignoring Wendy and blowing cigarette smoke in the child's face. She is not fit to take care of Wendy yet." Sharon knew that she was only trying to buy herself some time with Wendy and that in a way the fight was futile, but it didn't stop her from trying anyway.

"It is not your call whether or not Sharon Beck is fit to take care of Wendy. And let me remind you that she did raise a child for 16 years." Cynthia was not impressed with Sharon's desperate attempt to hold on to Wendy.

"And look where that has gotten us." Sharon retorted.

"Captain, I'm afraid that I don't have much choice. Sharon Beck's request has been granted already. I am just here to let you know and schedule a visit." Cynthia declared.

"What?" Sharon was so furious that she didn't even realize that she was yelling.

"It's just a visit. There is no reason to stress over it. Wendy will stay with her biological mother for 24 hours and then the child will return to your custody until further notice."

"Twenty four hours?!" Sharon huffed in anger. Had Sharon Raydor been a cartoon character, Cynthia would have seen smoke coming out of her ears. Her cheeks were burning up with anger. She was rarely so angry, but she could feel the wrath building up inside her by the moment. Despite noticing the way Sharon's face became flushed, Cynthia ignored it and opened her calendar.

"I will set the visit for the 24th of June at 8 a.m." Cynthia declared. "Sharon Beck will need to bring Wendy back on June 25th at the same time." She wrote the date and time down in her calendar. "And word of advice, Sharon; Start accepting the fact that Wendy's mother is going to be a permanent figure in her life from now on." With these words, Cynthia left Sharon's office.

* * *

Andy has never seen Sharon so nervous in his life. He knew that she tried to look fine, but every time she looked at Wendy, tears welled in her eyes and her bottom lip started shaking. Andy was better at holding his pain. He felt awful about the fact that they were gradually losing Wendy and had no control over it and seeing Sharon slowly falling apart was equally painful. He loved the both of them more than he could ever express in words; his heart was in constant physical pain every time he saw Sharon clinging to the child with teary eyes.

But it seemed like none of them was prepared for the bitter-sweet surprise that knocked on the front door of their house that evening. Andy was the one to open it and was surprised to see a slender girl, her wavy hair was dark brown and her eyes were a dark shade green. Her skin was fair and she looked like she was going to fall apart at any given moment.

"Can I help you?" He asked. There was something recognizable about this girl, but he couldn't remember where he has seen her before.

"You must be Andy," the girl's voice was hoarse, but somewhat familiar. "I'm Jules." His jaw dropped. This girl looked like a homeless person rather than Sharon Raydor's 32 years old daughter whom she hasn't even seen in 6 years.

"Come in." He moved from the doorway and Jules bent down, picked a huge backpack and hung it over her shoulder. "Let me help me with that." The backpack seemed to be at least twice the girl's weight. She smiled, but shook her head.

"Is my mom at home?" the girl asked.

"Yes, she's giving Wendy a bath," Andy replied, still shocked by the girl's presence. He has met Sharon's son a few times over the past four years, but it was the first time he saw or spoke to Jules. "Can I offer you anything until she's done?"

"No, I'm fine." Jules put down her backpack and took a seat on the couch in the living room. Andy inspected her top to bottom. She was slightly taller than Sharon and much thinner, in an unhealthy manner. Her hair looked a little dirty and her skin had a greenish tint. Her nose was an exact copy of Sharon's and her eyes were the same color but slightly more slanted and dark.

"Andy, who are you talking to?" Sharon came down the hall, Wendy in her arms, wrapped in a towel. Jules pulled herself off the couch and stood up. Sharon stopped in her tracks and her eyes widened in surprise. "Juliet!" she called out and ran towards her daughter, with Wendy still in her arms. She threw her free arm around her daughter's neck and pulled her close to her, feeling the tears rising in her eyes and flowing down her cheeks. "I have missed you so much. I'm so happy that you are here."

"I missed you too, Mom. You look great." Jules' voice was low and cracked. Sharon caressed her daughter's cheek with the back of her hand. "This must be Wendy. She is so beautiful, Mom." Jules smiled at the child her mother held in her arms. Sharon replied with a hum.

"You look exhausted, honey. How long was the flight?" Sharon asked.

"I had two connection flights, so it took about 26 hours for me to get to LA." Jules replied. "Mom, I know seeing me again is exciting for you, but we need to talk about something." Sharon didn't like the sound of her daughter's words at all. It was clear to her that whatever Jules had to tell her, it wasn't a good thing. She wasn't sure that she was capable of dealing with anymore bad news at the moment, but it has been 6 years since she last saw her daughter and 3 weeks since she last spoke to her on the phone. The least she could do was to listen to what Jules had to say.

"Of course. Just let me help Wen dress and put her to bed and then we can talk, alright?" She looked into her daughter's eyes, appreciating the warmth she saw in them.

"Sure." Jules nodded and forced on a smile.

"Maybe you can get settled in the meantime. If you have anything that you need me to wash, just put it in the laundry basket. Andy can show you where that is." Sharon said and walked down the hall to Wendy's room. She quickly helped Wendy dress and tucked her into bed.

"Story," the child demanded.

"You know what? I think Andy would like to read you a story tonight." Sharon said and Wendy nodded excitedly. Sharon left the room and asked Andy to replace her near Wendy's bed. He kissed her cheek on the way to Wendy's room and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She hummed in reply. "I apologize, honey. I'm all yours now." She took a seat on the couch next to her daughter and took her hands in hers. Her daughter's palms were bigger than hers, but Sharon could feel her bones through the skin. She pursed her lips and looked into Juliet's eyes; the dark gaze that Jules returned told Sharon that something was wrong.

"Mom," Jules started. "I came back because I was diagnosed with a disease and they couldn't give me proper treatment in Uganda." Sharon took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "When the conflict in Uganda started, we were instructed to leave the north of the country and go to Kampala. We had some transportation for part of the way, but we had to walk most of it by foot. We were not supposed to stay in villages, because it was dangerous, but I couldn't, you know. I saw all these kids and they were sick, so I tried to stay in each village I went into for at least 24 hours and try to help them." Sharon could see the way her daughter's eyes became glazed with tears. "In the beginning I had a lot of extra supplies; medicines, food, clothes and I gave it to the villagers, but it was a long way and it started running out, so I started giving them my own food. If I didn't, they would starve to death and I was stronger and healthier. About two weeks before I came back to Kampala, I passed through this village and there were so many orphans. They were really sick and I couldn't," Jules' voice broke and Sharon brought her hand to her face and gently caressed her cheek. "I couldn't ignore them, so I stayed there for five or six days and there was this child, Masani; she was about 4 years old and she was so beautiful and smart. Her parents died and she didn't have any relatives, so I decided to take her with me to Kampala and see if I can get her some medical attention and maybe find her a place to live until I can come back to Uganda." A sigh escaped from between Sharon's lips. She knew things in third world countries were bad, but until now she hadn't realized how horrible the situation in Uganda must have been. "We walked for about a week and we ran out of water. I knew that if Masani didn't get some water she would die, so I gave her the last drops of clean water that I had." Sharon could barely stand the sight of tears in her daughter's eyes and she pulled her into a close hug.

"You are such a good person, my love," she whispered into her daughter's hair.

"I shouldn't have done that, but I was very thirsty and I drank contaminated water." Jules continued when they broke apart. "I contracted typhoid fever and it took the doctors a while to find out. They gave me some meds, but said I have to go home and get better treatment."

"Oh, honey. We'll visit the doctor tomorrow and we'll make sure you get treated for this. I'm sure you'll be fine soon." Sharon also hoped that Jules would consider staying in the States and not go back to Uganda.

"And I didn't want to, but I had to leave Masani behind. I left her with a rich family in Kampala; the father is well connected and he said that she can stay with them. He told me that when I get better I should get in touch with him and he will help me adopt Masani and bring her to the US." Sharon didn't realize that she was crying until a tear fell from her face to her hand. "She's probably so confused, Mom. I don't think she understands why I left her."

"I am sure she knows that you did what was best for her and that you will continue to fight for her." Sharon wiped her own tears with the back of her hand.

"I love you, Mom. I hope you know that. I've been such a bad daughter. I should have called more and you must have been so worried all the time." Jules' voice was faint and weak.

"It's nonsense, darling. You were doing the best you could." Sharon caressed her daughter's wet face. "You have stains on your skin," she chuckled. "Go take a shower and then you should get some rest. We already ate, but I can make you something if you're hungry."

"I'm okay, Mom. A shower sounds great and I'd love to have a good night's sleep."

"Do you want me to unpack your luggage?" Sharon offered.

"That would be great. Your shower is…" Her eyes ran across the living room and down the hall.

"It's down the hall, the second door to the right. Towels are in the bottom drawer. I'll prepare the guest room for you." Jules smiled at her mother and leaned down slowly to place a gentle kiss on her cheek before getting off the couch and walking towards the shower.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N****: **I received a few requests from readers to write a pregnancy for Sharon into this story. Since Sharon is in her late 50's/early 60's in the show and the current chapters of this story take place about 4 years into the future, the pregnancy plot will not happen in this story. I'm sorry to disappoint the readers who made this request and I hope that you will understand my choice. I thank you all for your lovely reviews and for continuing to follow this fanfic despite its length.

* * *

Sharon took clean bed sheets out of the chest of drawers and made the bed in the guest room. She knew that after sleeping in tents, hostels and crumbling shacks for six years, Jules would appreciate the clean sheets and comfortable bed. She smiled to herself slowly. Her daughter might have been forced to return to the US because of the situation in Uganda, but it didn't make Sharon less happy about her presence in her house.

"Mom!" she heard Jules' voice from the bathroom. "Could you come over here?" Sharon walked the short distance between the guest room and the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Do you want me to come in?" she asked.

"Yeah, I kinda need help with something." Jules replied and Sharon opened the door and went into the bathroom. Her daughter was sitting on the edge of the bathtub in her underwear and held a pair of scissors in her hand. "I just found some lice in my hair and I need you to cut my hair; all of it."

"Honey, we're not living in the middle ages. I can run to the pharmacy and get you lice treatment. There's no need to cut…" Sharon loved her daughter's thick and dark mane; although she could see that it lost its shine and was too unkempt.

"No, just cut it. I don't think I can handle lice treatment at the moment." Jules handed the scissors to her mother. Sharon took a patch of hair between her fingers and sighed.

"Are you sure about it?" she asked one last time. Jules hummed and Sharon cut the patch of hair and threw it into the sink.

When she was done, she smiled at Jules and passed a hand through what was left of the girl's hair. Her daughter's strong facial features were usually hidden by hair, but without it, they stuck out; her eyes looked bigger, her nose seemed longer, her lips appeared to be fuller and her cheekbones looked higher. She was beautiful, even though the haircut also accentuated the sickly green hue of her skin and the thinness of her face.

"How do I look?" Jules asked, her eyes staring at her mother with anticipation. Tears filled Sharon's eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat before she replied.

"You're beautiful, honey." She caressed her daughter's cheek.

"It will grow back, Mom." Jules reassured her.

"I know," Sharon replied and grabbed the long and thick strands of hair from the sink. "I hope you don't intend on keeping this." She quirked her eyebrow and Jules gave her a toothy smile.

"Are you kidding? It's probably got Ebola in it or something. You should throw that away." Sharon smirked at her daughter's words and left the bathroom.

* * *

Rusty unlocked the door to Sharon and Andy's residence and eyed the huge traveler's backpack in the middle of the living room with suspicion. He pushed the key into the pocket on his jeans and put down the huge bag he was carrying. With curious eyes, he looked around the living room, to see if he could locate the owner of the backpack somewhere. He heard steps coming from down the hall and immediately recognized that it was Sharon. When she walked barefoot through the house, her steps were soft and unhurried. He turned around to face her and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Do you have a guest or something?" He asked.

"Jules is back," Sharon informed Rusty. He has never met Jules. He knew that she left the States about a year before he came to live with Sharon and she never came for a visit even once. For him, Jules was a mythological creature, some sort of unicorn. He knew that her absence caused Sharon a great deal of pain, even though she always tried to be brave about it.

"That's awesome. I can't wait to meet her." Rusty replied.

"She's sleeping, at the moment." Sharon said with a shrug.

"Can I take a peek?" Rusty asked.

"What?!" Sharon arched her eyebrows and her expression indicated that she was found his question odd.

"You've been talking about her for years, but I never met her or talked to her or even seen a photo of her. I wanna make sure she's a real person and you're not imagining her." Rusty's voice was amused. "She's in the guest room, right?" he asked and walked down the hall without waiting for Sharon's reply.

"Rusty, don't wake her," she whispered as she chased him down the hall. Rusty pushed down the knob of the guest room, opening the door just enough so he could shove his head into the room. In the darkness of the room, he could see a long figure lying on the bed, her arms stretched above her head and her feet dangling off the bed. Sharon tugged at the back of his shirt in an attempt to move him from the doorway.

"She sleeps like you." he pointed out.

"When have you ever seen me sleep?" She asked as Rusty moved from the doorway and closed the door behind him.

"All those times you fell asleep on the couch." He smirked and walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Sharon followed him and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"So, how did it go today?" she asked, referring to Anna's first ultrasound test.

"It went great. The baby is healthy and it's a girl. They gave us a due date, so we can expect her in the end of January." He informed Sharon who pulled him into a hug. "Anyway, that's not the only reason I came here."

"Oh?" Sharon raised her eyebrow.

"Our washing machine broke and I was hoping to do our laundry here, if you don't mind."

"I was about to open Juliet's backpack and sort her laundry, so if you want, you can leave your laundry here and come pick it up tomorrow evening." Sharon offered.

"I put the laundry bag in the living room. I'll help you sort," he said.

As they sorted the laundry together, letting the silence spread around them, Rusty could notice the nervousness in her movements, the way her eyes became dark and sad. It didn't take more that for him to understand that it was somehow related to Wendy and he contemplated whether or not to ask her about it. Sharon usually told him about the events of the day, especially when it was related to Wendy, but if she felt the need to hide something from him, it must have been extremely difficult for her to even deal with the thought about whatever it was. Seeing Sharon hurting worried him. She wasn't a person who particularly dwelled on pain. When others usually wallowed in their sorrows, Sharon was usually able to find the bright points of a dire situation.

"You look exhausted," he said to her after they put the dark laundry in the washing machine. "Why don't you go to bed and I will take care of the laundry once it's clean?"

"I'm waiting for Andy to come back," Sharon replied, her voice weak.

"Where is he?"

"He went out for a jog with Provenza. He's trying to help him get in shape." Sharon replied.

"Provenza jogging? Now, that's something I'd like to see." The only form of physical exercise Rusty ever saw the grumpy lieutenant do was walking to the break room for some coffee.

"Yeah, he met a woman and he's trying to get fit for her." Sharon's lips curved up in a small grin.

"Well, at least something makes the old man move his ass." Rusty joked.

"Language, Rusty," Sharon said with an amused tone. Rusty was happy that he could still make her smile.

"I got a call today, from me mother," Rusty's words made Sharon quirk her eyebrows. "She wanted to apologize for the way she spoke about Anna and me."

"What did you say to her?" Sharon inquired.

"I listened to what she had to say. She said that I'm a grownup now and I am free to make my own decisions and that she would like to keep in touch with me, despite everything that's happened," Rusty said. "I told her that I agree to visit her weekly, if she'll agree to surrender her parental rights over Wendy." Rusty could see tears welling in Sharon's eyes.

"DCFS granted her request for an overnight visit," Sharon informed him.

"When?"

"The day after tomorrow," Sharon said, "I hope she considers your request."

"Something tells me that she will," Rusty smiled and patted on her shoulder gently, the same way she used to do to him when he still lived with her. Sharon looked into his blue eyes and gave him a soft smile. It was almost unbelievable how much he grew since he came to live with her, 5 years earlier. Time was very elusive and she sometimes wished it would just stop so she would be able to hold on to the people she loved. Her children grew up so fast and so did Rusty and Wendy. She knew that with every moment that passed, she was losing them a little bit more. Her eyes were stinging with tears and she pulled Rusty into a tight hug, to prevent him from seeing her cry.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" He replied with a hushed tone, clumsily wrapping his arms around her.

"For being..." she pulled away from him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "For being you."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N****:** I would like to thank the lovely _orchid1982_ for reading this chapter and giving her feedback. I hope you enjoy this story and I'd love to know what you think of it.

* * *

Juliet stared at herself in the mirror with big wide eyes, trying to understand how to look presentable enough to go out. She knew that if she went out with the wide, crumbling clothes that she used to wear in Uganda, most people will mistake her for a homeless person. Sharon knocked on her door.

"Jules, your appointment with Dr. Fischer is in half an hour. We have to leave," she said. Juliet opened the door and looked at her mother with begging eyes. "You're not even dressed yet."

"I look like shit, Mom. I don't have anything to wear," Juliet complained. Sharon looked at her daughter. Her skin still had that sickly tint and her head looked big in comparison to her bony body and she was wearing a ragged bra and a pair of the ugliest panties Sharon had ever seen in her life.

"Let me see what I can find," Sharon said and left the room. Juliet took a seat on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest and leaning her chin on them. She felt sick and weak and she missed Uganda more than she could admit to herself. "Okay, this should fit you just fine," Sharon came back and handed her daughter a pair of jeans and a simple pink T-shirt. Juliet wore them quickly and slid her feet into a pair of traveler's sandals. Sharon thought they were quite ugly, but she had no time to find her daughter different shoes. "Do you have any document with the diagnosis they gave you?"

"Yes, it's in my backpack. I put it along with my passport and…" Sharon nodded slowly and walked out of the room again. Juliet followed her into the living room. Her mother was holding a brown envelop.

"These?" she asked and Juliet nodded. "Okay, let's go, then."

* * *

Dr. Fischer looked at Juliet as if she was a rare organism that he just discovered. Sharon suspected that the doctor has been quite bored with his day job if he found her daughter, who was suffering from a simple, yet unpleasant intestinal infection was a good science project. He referred her to multiple blood tests, urine test, PAP smear (Sharon wasn't sure if this was even necessary, at least she hoped it wasn't), throat culture, liver functions and an HIV test. Sharon wondered if she was overreacting or if all these tests were really necessary.

"You know, Mom, it's not such a big deal," Juliet said once they were outside the doctor's clinic. "He was genuinely concerned about my health. It's his job."

"I know it's his job, but some of these tests are ridiculous; I mean, liver functions? HIV?" Sharon unlocked her car and slid into the driver's seat.

"You never know what they might find," Juliet shrugged as she slid into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sharon's voice became high pitched. "You want to tell me that these tests are really necessary?"

"Yes, they might be. Mom, the fact that I was away from home doesn't mean that I was abstinent." It seemed that Sharon has lost her ability to talk for a moment. "Mom, come on. You didn't expect me to not have sex for six years, did you?"

"Casual sex?" Sharon was horrified at the thought that her daughter was sexually active in a country where a big portion of the population are HIV carries.

"No, Mom. I have… had a boyfriend."

"Had or have?" Sharon inquired, trying to calm herself down. She rarely got this worked up; but then, her children didn't give her many reasons to, once they were both grown.

"I don't know." Juliet shrugged. "His group was sent back to his country about two months before we were," she elaborated. "We spoke on the phone a couple of times, but then I had to leave the north and I didn't have access to phone. I emailed him right before I left Kampala," she explained. "And before you ask, his name is Yoni, he's from Israel and we were together for 3 years."

"Three years!" Sharon said under her breath. "You spoke to me countless times and you didn't think that you should have mentioned the fact that you had a boyfriend for the past three years?" Juliet could see that her mother was upset and she was unsure how she did not anticipate it before she blurted out the length of her relationship with Yoni.

"Mom, think clearly. What would be the point of telling you about a boyfriend you cannot meet?" Juliet asked. Sharon was trying to put her feelings in check, but her hands were trembling on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Mom. I really am. Let's just talk about something else." It seemed that her mother didn't want to talk at all, which was fine with her, because she wasn't sure what else she could say. "Mom, that's not the way home," she said as she noticed that her mother was driving in the wrong direction.

"We're not going home. You need some clothes, so we're going shopping." Sharon declared. Juliet smiled, knowing that shopping was one of her mother's feel-good activities. If that was what it took for her mother's mood to improve, she certainly wouldn't object. Besides, it's been six years since the last time she visited in a shopping mall.


	24. Chapter 24

Something was wrong, Juliet knew it, but she didn't know what it was. The entire house was in chaos and both Sharon and Andy were upset. Rusty came over and he seemed to be distressed as well. There was no yelling, no crying, just this disturbing ambiance that didn't suit her mother and from her short acquaintance with Andy and Rusty, didn't suit them either.

"I guess," she heard her mother say. "There's nothing to be done." Her voice was broken, tired, definitely not her usual tone. They were sitting around the dinner table, mugs of steaming tea in front of them and they looked as if the world was going to end.

Juliet had no idea what they were talking about and they didn't even make an attempt to include her. She wasn't shy, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. It felt as if she wasn't in the right place and definitely not in the right time. It seemed like her mother has built a whole new life in which she had a new partner and new children.

The atmosphere between her mother and her did not clear up after they went shopping. She suspected that her mother was still angry with her, even though she did pay for an entire new wardrobe for her and took her for lunch in an expansive restaurant; Juliet's stomach was aching and she could barely eat, but sitting at the table in front of her mother and knowing how much her pasta cost made her feel that it would be extremely rude if she didn't eat. She stuffed the pasta into her stomach, knowing exactly how many children in Uganda she could feed with the content of her plate. It made her feel guilty and her thoughts immediately travelled to Uganda; she wondered if Masani missed her, if she was scared at night, if someone comforted her when she cried, if she was given enough food. The thoughts made her stomach twitch painfully and as soon as her mother was out of sight, she threw up most of her lunch.

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she couldn't cry them. She didn't want to attract her mother's attention. She wished that she didn't listen to the words of the old Ugandan doctor who told her to go back to her country. She wished she didn't have to leave Masani. She could still see the disappointment in the girl's eyes when she explained to her, in her broken Luganda that she had to leave for a while.

She didn't notice that Rusty left and that Andy has gone out for a walk until Sharon came over to her and handed her two pills and a glass of water. She looked at her mother with confusion.

"Your antibiotics," Sharon said. She watched Juliet as she put the pills on her tongue and took a small sip of water to mask the taste. Sharon took a seat by her side and sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. Her voice was quiet, but deep.

"Uh?" Juliet replied, still disoriented.

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier," her mother explained. "And I hope that you can sort it out with what's-his-name – your boyfriend and somehow figure out a way to see each other, despite the distance."

"I think that I'll go to Florida for a while, stay with Ricky until I get well enough to go back to Uganda." Juliet said, the tone of her voice matching her mother's tone.

"Honey, Ricky would be happy to see you, I'm sure. But I'd love for you to stay here. I missed you so much and…"

"There is no place for me here." Juliet declared, only now registering the hurt expression on her mother's face. She averted her gaze from her mother's eyes.

"Of course there is. Jules, look at me," Sharon's voice was soft and firm at the same time. Jules forced herself to look at her mother. "There is always a place for you here. You came back at a troubled time, honey. It doesn't mean that you are not wanted here." Sharon could see tears in her daughter's eyes. "Listen, I'll take the day off tomorrow, we'll go to brunch and then we can go to the beauty salon and get our nails done."

"I don't want to go to brunch with you," Juliet said.

"Why not?" Sharon had no idea why her daughter was so angry at her. They used to be so close in the past. She had no clue what happened to her little girl.

"It's a waste," Juliet declared.

"How so?" Sharon wondered.

"It's expensive, Mom; and you will be wasting money on things that will just make me feel worse." Juliet's voice was loud now and for a moment Sharon feared that she would wake Wendy up.

"Why would it make you feel worse? You used to love spending time with me." Sharon asked. She could see that something was bothering her daughter and it wasn't like Juliet to not tell her what it was.

"Eating at restaurants is a waste."

"It's not like we go to restaurants every day." Sharon grinned. "And I don't see how it is a waste."

"It is a waste, because while we pay 25 bucks to feed two people, there are children in Africa who are starving to death. These 25 dollars could feed 10 kids in a Ugandan orphanage. And knowing that makes me feel sick." Tears were now streaming down Juliet's face and Sharon wrapped her arms around her daughter's body and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Honey, you can't save everyone," she said softly. "And you can't let guilt eat you because of that."

"I need to be there, Mom. There is a child who needs me." Juliet sobbed. A sudden pang made Sharon's heart twitch in her chest as the meaning of her daughter's words sank into her head. It was true that she didn't know what her daughter has been through in the past six years, but she knew what it was like to have a child needing her. And with that she had to admit that she needed her children just as much as they needed her. Being far from Juliet and Ricky and the thought of Wendy being taken away, even if for one night was painful. She wished she could always have her kids by her side.

"Would it make you feel better if you called her?" she offered, knowing that the best next thing was to speak to the child. Juliet nodded slowly. "Okay, great. Then you know where the phone is." Juliet leaped from the chair and grabbed the phone. She went into the guest room and came back with s small notebook, leafing through it as she walked.

"Here it is," she said and dialed the number.

Sharon watched the light coming back into her daughter's eyes and the smile that spread on her face as she spoke to the little child she missed so much. She was beautiful and Sharon hoped that Masani knew how lucky she was to have someone like Jules to take care of her, even when she was oceans away from her. Juliet had tears in her eyes when she hung up the phone and she willingly returned into Sharon's open arms.

"How did she sound?" Sharon asked.

"Just like an angel." Juliet replied, her voice shaking. She buried her face in the crook of Sharon's neck, her tears streaming down her face and absorbing in her mother's shirt. Sharon rubbed soothing circles on her daughter's back with one hand as the other hand rested on top of her daughter's head, tenderly stroking her close-cropped hair. "Mom?" Juliet raised her head from Sharon's body and wiped her teary eyes.

"Yes, honey?" Sharon's voice was soft and her eyes were warm.

"I guess it would be nice if we went to the beauty salon tomorrow, and maybe we could go to the hairdresser too and I'll get my hair dyed or something." Juliet sniffled as she spoke.

"Sure, darling. We'll do anything you want." Sharon cupped her daughter's face and gently wiped her tears away. Her daughter smiled at her, a genuine smile that reached her eyes and that was all Sharon needed to brighten up her day.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N****: I know it's been a while and this is a short chapter. School and work consume a lot of my time. Also, I have been sick lately, so I wasn't in the mood for writing. This is a chapter that I have been waiting to write since I began this story. I hope you will enjoy it and I will be happy to receive your feedback.**

* * *

Wendy's little arms were wrapped around Sharon's leg and her face was buried in the back of her foster mother's knee. No matter how hard Sharon, Andy and Rusty tried to shield her, no matter how hard they tried to sugarcoat the dreadful morning when she will have to go over to Sharon Beck's house for a whole night, it was not working. The child attached herself to Sharon's foot and refused to let go and leave the house with Cynthia. Andy bent down to level with the girl, gently sweeping her into his arms. The girl now clung to him instead.

"She's a little sick today," Sharon explained. "She was running a fever last night, so tell Sharon to expect her to be a little whiny. I gave her Tylenol about half an hour ago and her temperature should be lower by now," Sharon paused and touched Wendy's face, nodding slowly. "Please, please tell her to take her to the doctor if the fever continues. I wrote the number of the doctor's office on the Tylenol box; it's in Wendy's backpack. And if she or you can update me about how she's doing throughout the day, I will greatly appreciate it."

"Okay," Cynthia said, taking Wendy's bag from Sharon.

"And if Wendy is upset, tell Sharon to give her the yellow teddy bear," Sharon said, "She can only fall asleep with her night light; it's in there too," she motioned towards the bag. "And…"

"Sharon, it's only for 24 hours. She's handled a child before and I'm sure she is capable of doing it again," Cynthia stopped her. "And if you don't mind, we really have to get going."

"I'll go bring you Wendy's car seat," Andy said and kissed the crown of Wendy's head, gently placing the child in Sharon's arms. Wendy's small fist clutched the collar of his shirt and she let out a muffled cry. Sharon wrapped her arms around Wendy's body and moved a rebellious strand of strawberry blond hair from her face.

"Wen, you remember Cynthia?" her voice was soft. In response, Wendy buried her face in the crook of Sharon's neck. Andy came back with Wendy's child seat.

"She's not in the mood today, eh?" he asked and patted Sharon's shoulder. Sharon shook her head slowly.

"You have a few minutes to say goodbye to her while I go and put the child seat in my car," Cynthia said and took the child seat from Andy. Sharon kissed the girl's forehead and smoothed her hair.

"Wendy, you wanna say goodbye to Andy?" She asked softly and the child raised her head from Sharon's shoulder and look at Andy. He smiled at her and she let out a small cry-hiccup.

"Hey, Wendy, don't cry. We will see each other tomorrow," he tried to comfort the girl. "Can I get a goodbye kiss?" his voice was playful. Wendy, still in Sharon's arms, bent forward and planted a quick kiss on Andy's cheek. "Woah! That's the biggest kiss I've ever got!" Andy called out excitedly and could see the ghost of a smile forming on the child's lips.

"Do I also get a kiss?" Sharon teased, knowing that it would be best for Wendy if they look happy about her day with her mother rather than worried or stressed. Wendy wrapped her arms around Sharon's neck and brought her lips in contact with Sharon's cheek when they heard Cynthia's voice.

"Alright! Time to go, Wendy," the social worker called out. Wendy tightened her arms around Sharon's neck.

"Come on, Wen, Cynthia will take you to see your mother," Sharon said, already sensing that the child is not going to be easy to convince.

"No," Wendy whimpered.

"Darling, it's just for one day," Sharon tried and Cynthia gave her an impatient look. Wendy refused again and her fingers grasped the collar of Sharon's dress.

"We don't have time for this pep-talk, Sharon," Cynthia said.

"Okay, okay, give me just a moment," Sharon replied, feeling the tears rising in her eyes. "Wendy, come on. Cynthia is in a hurry and your mother is waiting for you; she really wants to see you again." These words made Wendy tighten her grip of her body, and Sharon could feel the girl's nails digging into the skin of her neck. Gently, she tried to untangle Wendy's arms from around her neck. Cynthia used the chance to wrap her arm around the child's waist and pull her from Sharon's body. Wendy shrieked in panic, trying hard to hold on to Sharon and kicking Cynthia. Tears started rolling down both Sharon and Wendy's faces.

"Wendy, we have to go," Cynthia never had a case where she had to hold a child and tear them away from their foster parents' arms. She tried to use a little force as she could but Wendy was stubborn and clung to Sharon; Cynthia tightened her grip of the child's body and pulled her even harder.

"What are you doing? Stop!" Sharon called out painfully. "This is not helping," Wendy used the social worker's moment of distraction to wrap her arms and feet around Sharon's body again.

"Look, Wendy is not the only child in LA that I need to attend to. I have a full schedule today and this confrontation is delaying me," Cynthia argued. "So if she can't come willingly, we will have to force her. That's the way it goes, whether you like it or not."

"She is sick and upset, forcing her to go with you won't make her enthusiastic about going to visit her mother," Andy argued. Sharon buried her face in Wendy's hair and whispered soothing words in the child's ear. She slowly rocked her body from side to side, feeling Wendy relaxing in her arms.

"Alright, darling; it's time to go with Cynthia," Sharon said and gently created distance between Wendy's body and hers. Cynthia wrapped her arm around the girl's body again and pulled her into her arms, this time with less of a struggle on Wendy's side, but not before she received a sharp kick in the stomach from the girl. Andy put his arm around Sharon's shoulders as they watched Cynthia carrying Wendy to her car and strapping her in the child seat. Wendy had tears streaming down her cheeks and her small fists beat the car windows in frenzy.

"You know it was inevitable," Andy said quietly. Sharon nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on Cynthia's car driving out of her view. Her heart was quivering in her chest like a trapped bird and she let out a long and agonizing breath.

"Do you think she hates us right now?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"She doesn't hate us, Sharon. She knows we love her and that we will always care for her. She's just upset at the moment because she is not feeling well. On any other day she would have gone with Cynthia willingly," Andy said and pulled Sharon into his arms. "It's only 24 hours. It's nothing comparing to the 6 years Jules has been away, right?" Sharon nodded slowly. "You know, I can see one good thing about this whole situation," his voice was teasing. Sharon arched her eyebrows and looked at him suspiciously. "It's been quite a while since we spent a whole evening on our own. Maybe we could order some food, light some candles and have a soothing bath together?"

"A soothing bath? Is that all?" Sharon couldn't help but teasing him back.

"Well, if you have any other suggestions…" he gave her his famous boyish grin.

"Hmm… let me think," she said as they walked into the house, closing the door behind them.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N****: I have been waiting to write this chapter ever since I started writing this story. I have had many different plans on what exactly will happen in it, but it only took shape and form while I wrote it up. I am quite happy with the way it came out, but would love to hear your feedback about it as well.**

**Warning: This chapter contains references and mentions of domestic violence. **

* * *

Andy looked down to the couch in the living room, where Sharon was laying, exhausted. Her arm was thrown over her face as if to shield her eyes from the light. He sat on the edge of couch and grabbed her feet, gently placing them on his knees. He smiled to himself as his fingers began to massage one of her feet, applying more pressure on the heels, knowing that the kind of shoes she liked so much were putting strain on that particular part of the foot. She let out a long hum.

"You're an angel, Andy," her voice was half a whimper.

"Said Mother Theresa," Andy grinned.

"Oh, right there," she moaned as his thumb pressed at a particular spot in her heel. Andy happily responded and rubbed the sore spot.

"You might want to consider wearing lower heels," he said as he started rubbing the other foot. A smirk spread across Sharon's face, partially hidden by her arm, but it did not escape Andy. He knew she would die before she would give up on her Christian Louboutin's. He had to admit that he liked seeing her wearing heels. She had fabulous legs and they looked even better in heels.

"Can I take you up on your offer from the morning? A soothing bath?" Sharon asked.

"Of course. I'll go fill in the bathtub for us." Andy leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips before getting up and walking to their en suite bathroom. He turned the hot water handle and chose Sharon's favorite lavender bath salt. He opened one of the cabinets where Sharon had a small stash of her favorite high-quality scented candles and grabbed a few of different sizes. He lighted them and placed them all around the room. Then he adjusted the lights in the room. When they bought the house, Sharon insisted on installing a dimmer in their bathroom, for occasions such as this. Andy thought it was useless, but later realized that the lighting could make a great difference in a room's atmosphere. He prepared their towels and added some cold water to the bathtub until he was satisfied with the temperature.

He walked back to the living room, finding Sharon in the exact same position he left her. Bending down, he lifted her in his arms and she wrapped her arm around his neck, to steady herself. He put her down when they got to the bathroom and she quickly removed her clothes and put them in the laundry basket. Andy was also undressing and she walked over to his and undid the buttons of his shirt, sliding her arms around his middle and pressing her lips against his bare chest. He stopped unbuckling his belt and wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her fatigue in the muscles of her back and the way she leaned her weight against his body. Their day at work was fairly quiet, but she did not get a lot of sleep during the previous night; in fact, she spent most of it holding Wendy who cried every time Sharon tried to put her back to bed. He tried to help, but Wendy only wanted Sharon. He was not surprised. Wendy was a very good natured and trusting child, but whenever she became sick, she would cling to Sharon and refuse to let go.

"I love you," she said against the skin of his chest. "I know that I don't say it often, so I want you to know."

"You say it every day in a million different ways, Sharon. And I love you too," Andy could feel her shoulders shaking and tightened his arms around her. "Let's get you into this bathtub," he said. Sharon raised her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. Andy captured her lips between his and quickly finished undressing.

They both sat in the bathtub, Sharon's back leaning against Andy's chest and her head tilted backwards, her nape on his shoulder. Andy's hands were rubbing up and down her sides, calming her down. Her eyes were falling shut and she started drifting asleep, feeling secure against his warm skin.

She woke up when her back hit the mattress of their bed. The bed sheet clung to her wet skin.

"Andy?" she uttered his name sleepily.

"I'm here. You fell asleep in the bathtub. I didn't wanna wake you," he slid into the bed next to her and moved a strand of wet hair from her face. She had no clue how he managed to get her out of the tub without waking her up, but she appreciated it. She buried her head under the blanket and snuggled against him, throwing her arm around his torso and falling back asleep.

* * *

The early rays of sun greeted Sharon's eyes and she stretched in bed, stifling a yawn, she reached out for the bedside table and grabbed her iPhone, not so surprised to see that it was not even 6 AM now. Placing the iPhone back on the table, she turned around in bed and let her eyes study Andy's sleeping face. He made little faces in his sleep that she found adorable. With a smile on her face, she leaned forward and captured his lips between hers. He moved in his sleep as she pressed a small kiss to the corner of his mouth and planted a trail of kisses along his jaw line. He hummed in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer to him before he let his eyes to slowly flutter open.

"Good morning, beautiful," his voice was a bit groggy. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept great," she replied.

"What time is it?" Andy wondered.

"It's five thirty," Sharon replied. "Cynthia is going to bring Wendy back at eight, so we have quite some time for this…" She drew his bottom lip into her mouth and sucked on it sensually. "And this…" She slid her hand down his body and rested it on his boxers.

"I love it when you're in this mood," Andy groaned and rolled her on her back, throwing the blanket aside. She usually didn't sleep naked, but he put her in bed straight from the shower the previous evening and he was glad for that now. She arched her back and pulled him down for a long and sensual kiss.

"I'm having some really dirty thoughts right now," she whispered when their lips separated.

"Believe me, you are definitely not the only one," Andy grinned and the mischievous glimmer in his eyes did not escape Sharon.

"Well, I'm all yours; at least until 7," she replied and winked at him playfully. Andy did not need any further encouragement. Every fiber of his being was already awake and he intended to show Sharon exactly how much he loved her.

"Let the fun begin," he declared and Sharon smiled in bliss. She loved starting her morning this way.

* * *

As soon as Sharon heard the doorbell, she put her cup of coffee down and rushed to the door. After the great start to her morning, nothing could be better than having Wendy back in her arms. Cynthia stood on her doorstep, holding Wendy's arm. The girl was crying and Sharon bent down and lifted her in her arms, immediately feeling the girl's high fever through her clothes.

"Sharon said that the visit went okay," Cynthia said as she handed Sharon Wendy's overnight bag.

"She's running a fever again. Did she take her to the doctor?" Sharon inquired.

"She said it wasn't necessary. She also said that she didn't give Wendy the medicine, so I guess things went fine," Cynthia said. "She was crying pretty badly when I came to pick her up. She will probably take some time to get used to her mother."

"If I had to guess, I would say that she was crying all the way back here as well," Sharon replied, barely able to keep the sarcastic tone out of her voice.

"She was. It's probably the fever. I'm sure you will get things under control now that she's here," Cynthia smiled. "I have to go, have a nice day, Sharon. Goodbye, Wendy." The girl did not pay attention to the social worker. Her cries became louder and more frantic. Sharon closed the door and carried Wendy to the kitchen.

"Hello, princess," Andy smiled at the girl. "How did things go for her?" he looked at Sharon with worry.

"Sharon didn't give her any medicine or take her to the doctor. She's burning up, so obviously, once again her so-called mother has done a poor job." Andy could see the frustration in Sharon's eyes. Wendy's cries were starting to bother her, especially now that she knew that the child did not receive the medical treatment that she needed. "I know, sweetie. You don't feel well." In fact, Wendy didn't smell very good either and Sharon suspected that the girl's mother did not give her a shower. "I'm gonna go and wash her. Could you call her doctor and schedule an appointment?" Andy nodded and Sharon carried Wendy to the bathroom. She sat the sobbing girl on the edge of the bathtub and started taking Wendy's clothes off. Wendy let out a loud shriek when Sharon released her small arm from the sleeve of her shirt. "I'm sorry, darling. Did I hurt you?" Wendy nodded as tears streamed down her face. "I didn't mean to. I apologize," Sharon passed her fingers through Wendy's sweaty hair. She filled the bathtub with lukewarm water and placed Wendy in it. As she leaned behind Wendy in order to wash her back, she noticed a dark blue bruise on the back of Wendy's shoulder. Wendy's arm seemed to be a bit crooked too. "Andy, can you come here?" she called out and could hear Andy walking down the hall and standing behind her. "Look at this," she pointed at the bruise.

"It looks like her shoulder is dislocated," Andy declared as soon as he saw the bruise and the weird angle of Wendy's arm.

"Oh, this damn woman," Sharon called out in despair. "I'm gonna take her to the ER as soon as I'm done washing her."

"Do you want me to call Cynthia and report this?" Andy asked.

"Not yet. Let's see what the doctor has to say." Sharon hurried to finish washing Wendy and quickly dried the weeping girl off and dressing her up in clean and comfortable clothes. "Wendy, darling, look at me for a moment," she said softly. Wendy looked at her with tearful eyes. "I know your arm really hurts, so I'm going to tie a cloth around it. It will help you feel better until we meet with the doctor, okay?" Wendy uttered a miserable 'yes' and Sharon used a shirt in order to make a sling and tie it around Wendy's neck. She then gave Wendy some Children's Tylenol for the fever and carried her to the car. Gently, she placed the girl in the child seat.

The drive to the hospital was agonizing and so was the long line in the ER. Wendy was clearly feeling horrible and she wouldn't stop crying. Sharon held her close to her and tried to soothe her, but nothing worked. It seemed like half a day has gone by before they got to see a doctor. After spending another hour and a half waiting in line for an X-ray, both Sharon and Wendy were exhausted. The doctor concluded that Wendy's shoulder was dislocated and her arm was cast. She also received some painkillers and Sharon could not be happier about it. After hours of hearing Wendy's cries, the child was silent at last.

Wendy fell asleep on the ride home and for the first time since Cynthia brought her home, Sharon allowed herself to cry. Ever since Sharon Beck disappeared with the squad's money, Sharon knew that she could not be trusted, but there was a very big difference between stealing money and hitting a toddler to the point of breaking her arm.

Dialing Cynthia's number, Sharon let out a shaky breath and threw a glance at the sleeping child in the back seat of her car.

"Sharon, is everything okay with Wendy?" Cynthia sounded concerned. "Is the fever getting worse?"

"Cynthia, I need to file a complaint against Sharon Beck for child abuse," Sharon replied, knowing that there was a great chance that Sharon Beck will lose her child again. At first, the thought of keeping Wendy away from her mother made her happy. But on a second thought, she realized that the person who was paying the price was Wendy. She knew that Wendy's arm would heal in time, but she hoped that the incident would not leave a deep scar in the precious child's heart.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** A new character will be introduced this chapter and I just wanted to point out that it is loosely based on a very nice guy I know personally, who had volunteered with children in Uganda several years ago and is trying until this day to make a difference in their lives.

**Warning: **This chapter contains descriptions of child abuse.

* * *

The knock on her office door surprised Sharon. The entire squad went out for lunch and she stayed behind to do some paper work. Andy wanted to stay with her, but she insisted that he should go with everyone else. Not looking up from the paper she was reading, she called out to the person on the other side of the door to enter the room.

She only lifted her gaze when she heard the door opening and someone stepping into her office. Sharon Beck stood in front of her, looking a little unsure of herself.

"Ms. Beck," Sharon tried to hide her surprise.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," the younger woman said. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"I'm listening," Sharon closed the file she was reading and motioned towards the chairs in front of her desk. Sharon Beck took a seat.

"I know you don't like me, but I came here to ask that you will drop the charges against me," Sharon Beck's voice shook.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because I didn't do it," Sharon Beck looked distraught now. "I didn't hit Wendy and did not violate the conditions of my probation. My side has to be heard too; this is the way the justice system works, right?" The tone of the younger woman reminded Sharon of the way Rusty spoke.

"Alright, I wanna hear what you have to say about what happened," Sharon said.

"Wendy was crying and it was late at night, okay? And I was tired, because I had to work in the morning. I didn't know what to do and I tried calming her down, but she kept crying. All I did was grabbing her by her shoulders and giving her a little shake. I didn't hit her, I swear."

"A little shake? Really?" Sharon got up and walked to the other side of the room in an attempt to put some distance between her and the other woman. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I didn't do anything wrong," Sharon Beck called out.

"Shaking a child? Do you even know what could have happened?" Sharon's voice was dangerously low. "Wendy could have died. Shaking a child could result in brain injury and severe damage to internal organs."

"That's nonsense, I shook Rusty every time he misbehaved and he was always perfectly fine and well-behaved afterwards," Sharon Beck argued.

"Well, then I guess you have had twice the luck, because somehow you managed to not kill both of your children," the sarcasm in Sharon's tone was obvious. "Shaking a child is not only an unsafe parenting technique; it's also considered child abuse, for which you have just admitted in front of me."

"Look, I didn't know that it was dangerous. I would have never done that had I known," Sharon Beck replied. "And I'm sorry for hurting Wendy. I really am. I love her and I would never deliberately hurt her. Please drop the charges against me."

"I can't do that, because hurting her might not have been your intention, but you did break her arm and put her life in risk," Sharon replied.

"I said that I'm sorry for that. I promise that I'll never do that again. I'll take parenting classes and learn how to take proper care of Wendy."

"That won't be necessary, because whether or not you go to jail for this incident, I will do everything in my power to make sure that you will never see Wendy again, not even for a supervised visit," Sharon replied, her words laced with anger.

"You can't do that. You can't keep me away from my child. DCFS will never let you do that, because they do what is best for the child and not what is best for the foster mother," Sharon Beck said.

"What is best for your child is to stay in a safe environment, where she is loved and respected. I have provided her with this environment since she was two days old, while your only contribution in her entire life was to not be in it," Sharon exclaimed. "And since this conversation is futile and you are wasting my time and yours, I will have to ask you to leave. Thank you." Sharon sat back behind her desk and watched the other woman getting up and throwing a hateful gaze her way.

"This is not over. I will have my child back," Sharon Beck declared before leaving her office and slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Rusty heard the knock on the door first. He always told Sharon that he had a really good ear and was glad he had a good chance to prove it. Of course, this really didn't mean anything more than the fact that once his child is born, he will be the first to hear her when she cried at night and get up in order to tend to her needs. Grinning at the thought, he got up from the dinner table and went to open the front door. A guy he did not know was standing there, looking half-lost.

"Can I help you?" Rusty asked, eyeing the guy suspiciously.

"I'm looking for Juliet Raydor, am I in the right place?" the guy asked.

"Sure, come in," Rusty was still unsure about the guy, but he led him to the dining room, where the entire family was sitting for dinner. As soon as Jules saw the guy, she leapt off her chair and wrapped her arms around the guy, capturing his lips for a brief kiss.

"What are you doing here?" her voice was a little high pitched.

"I got your email and I jumped on the first flight I was able to find," the guy replied, his arms still around her. "Your hair, what have you done to it?" he brushed his fingers against her short hair.

"Lice," she replied with a shrug.

"It looks nice," the guy said. They heard Sharon clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry." Jules turned around. "Mom, this is my boyfriend Yoni." Her eyes were shining with joy and Sharon has not seen her daughter so happy ever since she came back home. "Yoni, this are my Mom, her partner Andy, my brother Rusty with his girlfriend Anna and this is my sister Wendy," she introduced her family. Sharon got up to shake Yoni's hand, then went to the kitchen and brought a plate and cutlery to the table. Jules took her seat and patted on the empty chair next to her, for Yoni to sit.

"I apologize for interrupting your dinner," Yoni looked at Sharon and Andy. "I was away from home for a few days and when I got back, I read Juliet's email that said that she was really sick and had to leave Uganda. I had to come and make sure that she is okay."

"That's very kind of you," Sharon said with a smile. She didn't know Yoni, but from the stories Jules has told her about him and from the way the two of them looked at each other, it was not hard to gather that they were madly in love with each other. And the fact that he came all the way from Israel for Jules was also very heartwarming. Sharon has always appreciated romantic guys and she knew Jules would appreciate it as well.

* * *

Sharon stood in front of the mirror in her en-suite bathroom and brushed her teeth when Andy came in and wrapped his arms around her from behind. His hand slid upwards to rest on the spot under her breasts while his lips pressed a kiss on the spot under her ear. She smiled around her toothbrush.

"Wendy is finally asleep," he said. "And your daughter is sitting on the couch in the living room and making out with her boyfriend." Sharon shrugged and washed her toothbrush, placing it in the decorative toothbrush holder. "Is he going to be staying here?"

"Seems this way," Sharon replied. She spat her toothpaste into the sink and drew water into her mouth, gargling and then spitting them out.

"I hope you have earplugs, because it looks like they will be…" Sharon's lips covered his. He could taste the mint of her toothpaste in her mouth.

"She's a big girl and she can sleep with whoever she wants," she said and captured his lips again. She appreciated the fact that Andy showed his concern about Jules, but after meeting Yoni, she really wasn't worried about what Jules does with him.

"I'm just saying that we might get some noise, you know," Andy grinned against her lips.

"Well, how about we make some noise too?" Sharon asked, slowly pulling her nightgown upwards and leaning against the bathroom counter. She wrapped her leg around him and could already feel the excitement coursing through Andy's body.

"I love it when you're naughty," Andy grinned, pushing any thought that he previously had out of his head and letting his passion take over him. Knowing what Sharon was like when she was in the mood for countertop-sex, he realized they were not going to be the ones who will need earplugs.


End file.
